Kansas State ended Jerome Tang‘s four-year tenure Sunday in one of college basketball’s most dramatic coaching dismissals this season. The university terminated Tang for cause following his controversial postgame comments after a 91-62 home loss to Cincinnati on Feb. 11, where he publicly criticized players and claimed they did not deserve to wear the uniform. Athletic director Gene Taylor confirmed the decision hours after the Wildcats fell 78-64 to third-ranked Houston, extending their losing streak to six games.
The for-cause designation allows Kansas State to potentially avoid paying Tang’s $18.67 million remaining contract buyout. University officials cited contract language prohibiting any conduct that brings public disrepute, embarrassment or ridicule to the institution. Tang plans to challenge the termination, setting up a legal battle that could drag into summer. His attorney released a statement disputing the characterization and defending Tang’s integrity throughout his Kansas State tenure.
Tang Crossed Line with Player Criticism
The viral postgame press conference lasted just over two minutes but generated national attention for all the wrong reasons. Tang opened by calling the performance embarrassing before stating these dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform and predicting very few would return next season. He continued by expressing embarrassment for the university, fans and student section, adding that players lacked pride and did not love Kansas State enough to represent the program.
Students wearing paper bags over their heads during the Cincinnati game amplified the humiliation. When asked about the visual protest, Tang responded he would wear a paper bag too before abruptly ending the press conference. The comments sparked immediate backlash across social media and college basketball circles, with many analysts questioning whether a coach should publicly disparage student-athletes regardless of performance issues.
Kansas State Season Spiraled Out of Control
The Wildcats entered 2026 with legitimate NCAA Tournament aspirations after landing Memphis transfer PJ Haggerty, the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Kansas State invested heavily in the transfer portal, spending aggressively to build a competitive roster. Early success included victories over California, Mississippi State and Creighton during nonconference play, suggesting Tang had assembled the pieces for a bounce-back campaign.
Everything collapsed once Big 12 competition began. Kansas State opened conference play 1-11, matching one of the four worst Big 12 starts in program history alongside the 1922-23, 1999-00 and 2020-21 COVID-impacted seasons. The defense ranked 335th nationally in scoring defense at 80.8 points allowed per game. Cincinnati shot 50 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point range in the blowout, with five players scoring double figures against Kansas State’s porous defense.
Elite Eight Run Could Not Save Tang
Tang‘s first season created enormous goodwill within the Kansas State community. The Wildcats finished 26-10 in 2022-23, earning a third-place Big 12 finish and advancing to the Elite Eight before falling to Florida Atlantic. Tang earned Naismith Coach of the Year honors and signed a contract extension through the 2029-30 season. Kansas State reached within an eyelash of the program’s first Final Four appearance since 1964.
Diminishing returns followed immediately. The Wildcats posted a 19-15 record in Year 2, missing the NCAA Tournament despite solid nonconference results. Last season produced a 16-17 finish and another tournament absence. This campaign bottomed out at 10-15 overall with the worst conference record in program history. Since the Elite Eight run, Tang compiled a 38-45 record with an 18-32 mark in Big 12 play, erasing all momentum from his spectacular debut.
Unusual Coaching Decisions Preceded Firing
Tang implemented unconventional discipline following the Cincinnati debacle. Players competed without names on their jerseys during the Houston game, a symbolic gesture meant to emphasize team unity over individual recognition. Tang also forced players to prepare the Houston scouting report instead of relying on coaching staff analysis. Senior guard Nate Johnson explained the nameless jerseys represented a lack of unity displayed against Cincinnati.
The tactics failed to produce better results as Houston dominated by 14 points despite Kansas State’s attempted culture reset. Matthew Driscoll assumes interim coaching duties after spending 16 years as North Florida’s head coach. Gene Taylor confirmed the athletic department hired a search firm to identify Tang’s permanent replacement, expressing confidence that strong community support and a robust budget would attract quality candidates for the opening.
