Kansas State suspends grad assistant Mark Vital after domestic battery arrest
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- K-State’s Mark Vital arrested at 12:20 a.m. Monday for domestic battery charge.
- Riley County set Vital’s bond at $2,000; a woman was arrested at the same location.
- Vital joined K-State staff after playing pro basketball, reuniting with coach Tang.
A member of the Kansas State men’s basketball coaching staff was arrested Monday morning in Manhattan.
Mark Vital, a former Baylor player who is currently working as a graduate assistant for the Wildcats, was arrested for domestic battery at 12:20 a.m. on Monday at the 600 block of Vattier Street in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department’s daily crime log.
The charge of domestic battery came with the following disclaimer: “knowing rude physical contact with a family member or dating relationship.”
His bond was set at $2,000, and he was not confined.
Riley County police arrested a woman on a similar charge at the same location at 12:04 a.m.
K-State head basketball coach Jerome Tang announced on Monday afternoon that Vital has been suspended indefinitely from the team.
“We are aware of Mark Vital’s arrest on Sunday night,” Tang said in a statement. “He has been removed from all team responsibilities until the judicial process runs its course.”
Vital is in his first season as a graduate assistant with the K-State men’s basketball team. Head coach Jerome Tang hired him because of their successful history together. They won a national championship at Baylor in 2021. Back then, Tang was an assistant coach for the Bears and Vital was a star player who averaged 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
At 6-foot-5, Vital was able to continue playing after his college career came to an end. Vital played professional basketball in foreign countries and also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs as a tight end.
Vital turned to coaching this season when Tang offered him a role on his K-State support staff.
This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 10:12 AM.