And so it begins. Kansas State ousted Jerome Tang less than three years removed from making the Elite Eight in 2023. The gutsy move on Sunday night truly kickstarts the 2026 coaching carousel.
Kansas State has deep pockets and a serious desire to win at a high level in hoops. It had the resources to go big-game hunting in the transfer portal in each of the last three cycles, but you need more than just money to win in a Big 12 that features titans like Kansas, Houston, Arizona, Texas Tech, BYU and Iowa State.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood is a Kansas State graduate and has long been atop the potential wishlist, but he is not expected to vamoosh. So where could Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor turn next? Let’s dive into the top names to know.
Josh Schertz, Saint Louis
Schertz has turned Saint Louis into one of the most dangerous teams in the country. The Billikens are 24-1 and have second-weekend aspirations. Schertz’s gorgeous offense has five guys on the floor who can create advantages at all times.
Saint Louis’ offense ranks No. 2 in effective field goal percentage. Defensively, the Billikens rank No. 1 in effective field goal percentage. It’s really, really good.
But Schertz is not going to just leave for the biggest payday. Saint Louis’ braintrust does not want him dipping anytime soon, and it is getting its coffers ready. He will also get calls from every single job that opens this spring. Does Kansas State have the allure and stability to draw him away from a really good thing? We’re hesitant, especially when better landing spots could emerge in the next few weeks.
Jerrod Calhoun, Utah State
Calhoun is one of the hottest names on the carousel, for good reason. He has Utah State well on its way to make the Big Dance for the second year in a row. The Aggies sit atop the Mountain West at 22-3, and Calhoun is a sharp evaluator who has proven he can find gems in both the portal and the high school ranks and coach ’em up. Schematically, Calhoun has Utah State humming. It is on pace to have a top-20 offense for the second year in a row, and the Aggies throw a little bit of everything out there defensively in a quest to get a stop.
The timing of this is notable, too. If Calhoun’s alma mater, Cincinnati, opens, he will be on the short list for the Bearcats’ brass. By parting ways with Tang now, Kansas State gets a head start in that pursuit.
Chris Jans, Mississippi State
There aren’t many high-major names that make sense for Kansas State right now, but Jans certainly could be in play. Jans has built an NCAA Tournament-caliber team in seven of the last nine years at both Mississippi State and New Mexico State. He led Mississippi State to three straight Big Dances from 2022-25 before falling on hard times this season. His coaching acumen is still far from a question. Jans built some of the best defenses in the sport, and he’s built some dynamic offenses, to boot.
Mississippi State has SEC money, but Kansas State has shown it’s on a different level from a resources perspective.
Casey Alexander, Belmont
Even though his top talent usually gets poached in the portal, Alexander finds ways to solve problems. Belmont has won at least 20 games in all seven seasons, and Alexander has finished above his preseason KenPom.com projection in each of the last four years. Alexander is certainly known for his offensive prowess. Belmont has finished in the top-25 nationally in effective field goal percentage in seven of the last eight years.
This current Belmont club is 24-4 and Alexander’s best team yet. Belmont has a two-game lead in the Missouri Valley Conference standings and owns the interior size and shot-making to make anybody sweat in March.
Bryan Hodgson, South Florida
Hodgson is a stud who has rocketed up the pecking order quickly after doing major work on the recruiting trail for Nate Oats at Alabama and Buffalo. Hodgson went 25-11 at Arkansas State in 2024-25 and now has South Florida up to 18-8 overall and atop the AAC standings. Hodgson has kept some of the pace-and-space gameplans that have made Oats so dominant at Alabama, and South Florida is up 44 spots from its preseason projection on KenPom.
Matt Braeuer, Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin is in the midst of a revival that it hasn’t seen since the Brad Underwood days in the mid-2010s. Braeuer is a huge reason why. The 23-3 Lumberjacks have surged ahead of McNeese in the Southland pecking order, owning the best defense in league play and the second-best offense.
Braeuer is a former Wichita State sharpshooter, so he knows the Kansas landscape well. He also knows how the Big 12 ticks after becoming Grant McCasland’s right-hand man at both North Texas and Texas Tech.
The one downside is that Braeuer, just 39, is a first-year head coach. We often see administrators swing to the opposite side of the pendulum after something doesn’t work. Hiring Braeuer after tabbing Tang, who was a long-time Baylor assistant with no head coaching experience, could feel a bit too similar.
Kansas State wanting a more proven head coach seems likely, although Braeuer looks every bit like a future star.
Eric Olen, New Mexico
Olen was a hot name in the carousel last spring after leading UC San Diego to the NCAA Tournament, and it may pop up again in 2026. Olen has New Mexico extremely competitive right away. The Lobos are 19-6 overall and 10-4 in Mountain West play in Year 1.
There’s also a bit of turbulence at New Mexico these days. The beautiful Mountain West is collapsing as we know it, with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State heading to the revamped Pac-12. New Mexico athletic director Fernando Lovo hired Olen and then departed for the Colorado AD job just nine months later.
Olen probably needs to take New Mexico to the NCAA Tournament to really get the ball rolling here, but his buyout is only $2.65 million. Would Olen want to coach three years at three different places?
Ryan Miller, Murray State
Miller has Murray State back near the top of the Missouri Valley standings, like it is supposed to be. He made waves as an assistant at both Creighton and TCU on the recruiting trail, and that has immediately translated at Murray State.
Talent acquisition would not be a problem for Kansas State under Miller.
Scott Cross, Troy
Cross has Troy zooming towards its fifth consecutive 20-win season. He took the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament last year, and Troy will be firmly in the mix to earn the Sun Belt’s automatic bid next month. He’s been a head coach for almost two decades, which could be attractive to the Kansas State brass after the Tang flameout.
