Jerome Tang’s lawyer warns K-State will be ‘embarrassed’ over ‘for cause’ firing
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tang retained attorneys Tom Mars and Bennett Speyer to fight for‑cause firing.
- K‑State cites Tang’s public comments that embarrassed university as grounds.
- Legal fight will determine if Tang gets some, all, or none of the $18.7M buyout.
Former Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang is not staying quiet after the Wildcats decided to fire him “for cause.”
In fact, his legal team is already making noise.
Tang has retained prominent sports law attorneys Tom Mars and Bennett Speyer in an attempt to battle the “for cause” designation in his dismissal and recoup some or all of the $18.7 million he would have been owed had K-State fired him “without cause.”
Mars issued the following statement to ESPN: “If K-State’s president and (athletic director) really think the school was embarrassed by recent events, that’s nothing compared to the embarrassment that both of them are about to experience.”
Mars also wrote this on social media: “It seems to me that making false statements and innuendo about a head coach for the specific purpose of avoiding a school’s buyout obligation would constitute actual malice.”
K-State athletic director Gene Taylor fired Tang “for cause” on Sunday, saying that Tang made viral comments in a recent press conference that violated his contract because they brought embarrassment to the university.
Tang went on a tirade after K-State lost 91-62 against Cincinnati last week, saying, “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university. I’m embarrassed for our fans and our student section. It is just ridiculous.”
Those comments, combined with a miserable 10-15 basketball season and three straight years without an NCAA Tournament berth, were enough for Taylor to unceremoniously dismiss Tang over the weekend.
“His comments about the student-athletes,” Taylor said, “and the negative reaction to those comments from a lot of sources, both nationally and locally, is where I thought we needed to make this decision. ... What he said about the student-athletes really concerned me.”
A legal battle is now on the horizon over the status of Tang’s buyout.
Did his comments about K-State players warrant a “for cause” firing? That could be for a judge to decide.
According to a copy of Tang’s contract, he can be fired “for cause” if he does something that brings “public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule” to Kansas State.
If Tang is successfully fired “for cause,” then K-State could potentially owe him nothing.
But Tang seems ready to challenge that assertion.
It’s possible both sides could agree on some middle ground with his buyout as their attorneys negotiate over the coming weeks or months.
Tang said in a statement he disagrees with K-State’s characterization of his firing.
“I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination,” Tang said. “I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.
“I would also like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the opportunity to serve as head coach at Kansas State. It has been one of the great honors of my life.
“I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special. I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes.”