Kansas State could target these coaches sooner than others in basketball search
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State may wait until NCAA exits, but some targets could open earlier.
- Conference-tourney losses could free bubble coaches, barring NIT/Crown plans.
- Several mid-major and some power-conference coaches could become available soon.
Kansas State basketball fans have no choice but to stay patient as the Wildcats continue to search for a new head coach.
More than two weeks have gone by since K-State athletic director Gene Taylor fired Jerome Tang for cause in the middle of a lost season. It may be another three weeks, or more, until the Wildcats formally hire a replacement.
Why? Unlike in college football, it is extremely rare for a college basketball coach to switch jobs before his team is done playing in the postseason. That means K-State will likely have to wait until teams start bowing out of the NCAA Tournament to seriously engage with top candidates, such as Jerrod Calhoun (Utah State) and Josh Schertz (Saint Louis).
But some coaches could become available at an earlier time.
Conference tournaments start this week. Coaches that miss out on automatic berths to March Madness will be available, unless they are dead set on coaching in consolation tournaments like the NIT or the College Basketball Crown.
It’s also possible that an assistant coach could choose to leave his team early. Jai Lucas left Duke for Miami at the conclusion of the regular-season in 2025, leaving the Blue Devils to play in the NCAA Tournament without one of their top assistants.
Much of the chatter around K-State’s coaching search continues to revolve around Calhoun, who has guided the Aggies to a 24-5 record, and Schertz, who has the Billikens at 26-3. But both of their teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament with ease.
New Mexico coach Eric Olen also has the Lobos on the bubble.
They may all remain with their current schools until at least the first round of the NCAA Tournament comes to an end.
Here are some names that could become available sooner than later:
Casey Alexander (Belmont): It’s possible that Belmont could earn an at-large berth into the Big Dance if it doesn’t win Arch Madness this week in St. Louis. Belmont finished the regular season with a 26-5 record, which is enough for it to be on the bubble. But a loss could also knock the Bruins out of the picture. If that happens, K-State will have an early window to meet with Alexander, who fits the mold of an experienced head coach that Taylor is looking for. His teams have won at least 20 games in 10 straight seasons.
Alan Huss (Creighton assistant): The Bluejays will need to win the Big East Tournament to reach the NCAA Tournament, which means Huss should be free to talk with K-State earlier than most candidates. Huss is currently the head-coach-in-waiting at Creighton, but he may be interested in other opportunities. He played high school basketball at North Kansas City and knows the region well. He also went 56-15 as a head coach during two seasons at High Point.
Chris Mack (Charleston): Much like Tang, he was fired midway through his fourth season at Louisville. But he was a consistent winner before that at Xavier. He has since guided Charleston to consecutive 20-win seasons as the head coach there. He may have earned another shot at a power-conference job. The CAA Tournament ends March 10.
Ben Jacobson (Northern Iowa): Unless the Panthers win Arch Madness, the NCAA Tournament will not be in the cards for Northern Iowa. He could be available for an interview this week. Jacobson has won 393 games at Northern Iowa. Jacobson and Taylor were both at North Dakota State in 2001.
Chris Holtmann (DePaul): He has guided two different teams — Butler and Ohio State — to the NCAA Tournament. This season, he has led DePaul to a winning record, which is impressive in its own right. Maybe he is ready to move back into a power conference. The Big East Tournament ends on the same day as the Big 12 Tournament.
It is also worth noting that Chris Beard (Ole Miss), Steve Forbes (Wake Forest) and Chris Jans (Mississippi State) could be on the lookout for new options at some point next week. All three current head coaches have reasons to want to work in the Big 12 or Manhattan. But all three coaches are having down seasons, and it appears they may have more interest in the Wildcats than the Wildcats do in them.
Other names could surface in the next few weeks, as K-State fans play the waiting game.