Well… bye. | Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesJon MorseMon, February 16, 2026 at 2:37 AM UTC·2 min readAs reported by multiple sources, led by Matt Norlander of CBS, Kansas State has fired men’s head basketball coach Jerome Tang.
The dismissal comes in the wake of widely publicized comments at a press conference following the Cincinnati loss on Wednesday, a 91-62 humiliation at Bramlage that stands as one of K-State’s worst home losses in history. In that press conference, Tang lashed out at his own players, saying they did not deserve to wear the uniform.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement(Of course, there’s one man responsible for those players wearing said uniform to begin with.)
K-State is attempting to fire Tang for cause, which can be very problematic from a legal standpoint. Athletic director Gene Taylor, in a statement, said “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.” This is likely just a tactic to induce Tang to agree to a reduction in his $18 million buyout, as clauses such as the one against bringing “embarrassment or disrepute” to the university are notoriously hard to enforce.
Tang exits as K-State is mired in a nightmarish 10-15 campaign, only 1-11 in conference play and including losing at home to Bowling Green in December. Despite leading the Cats to the Elite Eight with a 26-10 record in his rookie season, he departs with a career record of 71-57, 29-39 in the Big 12, and K-State will have missed the NCAA Tournament three straight times since that run, including a first-round loss to Iowa in the 2024 NIT.
Wildly popular after the Elite Eight run, Tang was inked to an extension following reported poaching interest from Arkansas and an absurd groundswell of fan support surrounding the dismissal of Nae’Quan Tomlin. But since that incident, Tang’s record has been only 38-45, 18-32 in Big 12 play. What good will he had generated over his first season-plus remained through the remainder of the 2023-24 season, but began evaporating in the early stages of the 2024-25 season as the team floundered, and had all but disappeared entirely midway through this season.
As of now, K-State has not named an interim coach, and a national search for a permanent replacement has already commenced.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
