Kansas State Fires Coach Jerome Tang for Cause
Kansas State has fired men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang for cause, Athletics Director Gene Taylor announced Sunday night. The decision comes less than four days after Tang’s viral postgame rant following an embarrassing home loss to Cincinnati.
The Viral Moment That Sealed His Fate
Tang’s departure follows his emotional tirade Wednesday night after Kansas State’s 91-62 loss to the Bearcats. During his press conference, Tang expressed his frustration with his players, stating: “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section. It is ridiculous.”
The Kansas State basketball team played its next game, a 78-64 loss to No. 3 Houston on Saturday, without player names on the back of their jerseys—a stark demonstration of Tang’s disapproval.
Struggling Program, Historic Collapse
The firing marks a dramatic fall for Kansas State basketball, which finished the 2024-25 season with a 10-15 overall record and a dismal 1-11 mark in Big 12 conference play. The team is tied for last place in the conference and headed toward its second consecutive sub-.500 season despite significant spending in the transfer portal.
Some fans in the student section even wore bags over their heads during the Cincinnati loss, symbolizing their frustration with the program’s direction.
From Elite Eight to Dismissal
Tang’s downfall is particularly striking given his first-season success. In 2022-23, his inaugural year at Kansas State, Tang guided the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight with a 26-10 record and a 3-seed—the program’s best performance since Bruce Weber’s first season in 2013. The dynamic duo of guard Markquis Nowell and forward Keyontae Johnson energized the fanbase, with Nowell setting an NCAA Tournament record with 19 assists in the Sweet 16.
However, the Wildcats never sustained that momentum. Over his four seasons, Tang compiled a 71-57 overall record and a disappointing 29-39 Big 12 record.
Contract Details and Search Ahead
Kansas State will owe Tang more than $18 million under the remaining terms of his contract, which ran through the 2029-30 season. The school cited language in his contract referencing conduct that brings “public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule” to Kansas State as grounds for the for-cause firing.
A national search for Kansas State’s next basketball coach will begin immediately, with an interim head coach to be named shortly. Before joining Kansas State, Tang spent 20 seasons as an assistant coach under Scott Drew at Baylor.
