Who is K-State basketball’s interim coach? What to know about Matthew Driscoll
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Matthew Driscoll named interim head coach after Tang was fired for cause.
- Driscoll spent 16 seasons at North Florida: won 248 games and three conference titles.
- He serves as K-State's de facto offensive coordinator, favoring 3-point approach.
A new face will lead the Kansas State men’s basketball team for the remainder of the season.
Starting with a home game against Baylor at 8 p.m. on Tuesday inside Bramlage Coliseum, interim head coach Matthew Driscoll will be calling the shots for the Wildcats.
K-State athletic director Gene Taylor elevated Driscoll to that role after he decided to fire Jerome Tang “for cause” over the weekend.
Things may look and feel much different for the Wildcats with Driscoll in the lead chair for six games, plus the Big 12 Tournament.
It will be fascinating to see what happens.
Here are three things to know about K-State’s new interim head coach:
1. Matthew Driscoll has experience as a head coach
Driscoll was seen as a splash hire to the K-State basketball staff when Tang hired him last year.
Before he agreed to become the associate head coach in Manhattan for a salary of $550,000, he was working as the head coach at North Florida. Driscoll spent 16 seasons there, winning 248 games. He led North Florida to three conference championships and two postseason appearances during his long tenure.
So he shouldn’t be intimidated by anything that happens to K-State as he takes over as interim head coach.
He switched jobs because he felt called to help Tang and the Wildcats.
“I know some will wonder why I would leave being a head coach to become an assistant coach, but this was a no-brainer in every aspect for us,” Driscoll said in May. “We all know that work brings profit and if you have studied Coach Tang and his program, that’s what they do. My responsibility will be to continue to nurture, encourage and expound upon this foundation with amazing energy, passion and a servant’s mentality.”
2. Baylor is a familiar opponent for Driscoll
Much like Tang, Driscoll was once worked as an assistant coach at Baylor under Scott Drew.
That connection is what led Tang to hire Driscoll during the offseason. They were at Baylor together from 2003 to 2009.
Driscoll is proud of his Baylor roots, and he has a strong relationship with Drew. It’s fitting that he will make his debut as an interim head coach against the Bears.
3. Driscoll is K-State’s offensive coordinator
It’s not unusual for Driscoll to lead timeout huddles.
In fact, when the Wildcats are on offense he usually spends more time talking than anyone else on the coaching staff. That is because he is essentially the offensive coordinator of this team.
K-State brought him in to revolutionize its offense. Driscoll likes his teams to shoot from 3-point range, and K-State has done a lot of that this season.
The Wildcats got off to a red-hot start on offense this season, as K-State regularly flirted with 90 points and occasionally reached 100 during non-conference games. But K-State injuries and Big 12 defenses have lowered production. Lately, it’s been a struggle for K-State to reach 70 points.
On the season, the Wildcats are shooting 36.4% from 3-point range and 52.6% from 2-point range.