Kansas State fired men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang for cause, the school mentioned Sunday night.
The last-place Wildcats have only one win in the Big 12, and Tang, in his fourth season, lashed out at his players following a blowout home loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday.
The basis for the for-cause firing, sources told ESPN, is language in Tang’s contract that references any activity that brings “public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule” to Kansas State.
“This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men’s basketball program,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor mentioned in a statement. “Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. We wish Coach Tang and his family all the best moving forward.”
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In 2023, Tang signed a contract extension through the 2029-30 season, and there is still $18.67 million remaining on that deal. Sources told ESPN that Tang plans to fight the for-cause firing.
“I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination,” he told ESPN in a statement. “I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.”
The Wildcats dropped to 1-11 in Big 12 play with a 78-64 loss at No. 3 Houston on Saturday. They played the game without player names on the back of their jerseys, three days after the rant by Tang following the Cincinnati loss went viral.
“These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform,” Tang mentioned then. “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 … I have no answer. No words.”
Tang led Kansas State to the Elite Eight in his first season, winning 26 games — the program’s most since Bruce Weber’s first season in 2013. The Wildcats couldn’t continue the momentum of Tang’s first season, though, struggling in Big 12 play and missing the NCAA tournament in Year 2 and then finishing 16-17 last season.
Kansas State bottomed out this season, sitting at 10-15 overall and tied for last place in the Big 12. Some of the fans in the student section of Bramlage Coliseum wore bags over their heads during the Wildcats’ loss to Cincinnati.
Before taking over at Kansas State in 2022, Tang was an assistant coach under Scott Drew at Baylor for 20 seasons.
Tang called coaching Kansas State “one of the great honors of my life.”
“I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special,” he mentioned in the statement. “I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes.”
Kansas State mentioned it would name an interim coach soon and that a national search for a replacement has begun.
