K-State adjusts contract language for new coach after Jerome Tang’s dismissal
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K‑State revised its new coach’s contract, defining grounds for termination for cause.
- Casey Alexander’s five‑year contract pays $17 million in base salary total.
- K‑State fired Jerome Tang for cause to avoid an $18.7M buyout; legal action is possible.
Two months after Kansas State fired former men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang “for cause,” the university has changed some of the contract language it will use to define that same type of unceremonious dismissal in the future.
A finalized copy of new K-State head coach Casey Alexander’s contract, which will pay him $17 million in base salary over the next five years, reveals new wording in a section of the agreement that is labeled “early termination by (K-State) for cause.”
The tweaked language explains myriad different types of missteps that K-State could use as grounds to terminate its new coach “for cause.” Most of them were also used in Tang’s contract. But several new details appear in Alexander’s contract regarding conduct.
According to Alexander’s contract, K-State can fire the coach “for cause” if he engages in conduct that “to a reasonable person” is found to be:
- Inconsistent with the professional standards of a collegiate sports team
- Prejudicial to the best interests of the university
- Abusive or demeaning towards any student, employee, alumni or donor
- Brings coach or the university into public disrepute, embarrassment, contempt, scandal or ridicule
- Includes false or misleading information that disparages the university or their personnel and causes damage to their reputation
- Results in the violation of the university’s policies on discrimination, harassment or retaliation
Those reasons weren’t spelled out in quite that much detail in Tang’s contract.
K-State athletic director Gene Taylor fired Tang “for cause” after the coach made viral comments about players no longer deserving to wear a purple uniform after the Wildcats suffered a blowout loss at home to Cincinnati in February.
Taylor argued that those comments were harmful to K-State student-athletes and brought embarrassment to the university.
By firing Tang “for cause,” K-State is trying to avoid paying the former coach a buyout of $18.7 million — which he would’ve been owed had he been fired “without cause.”
Tang’s legal team has promised to fight K-State’s decision and to attempt to recoup as much of his buyout as possible. A legal battle is likely looming, but as of Tuesday no case has been filed on Tang’s behalf in Riley County court.
It is possible that both sides will agree on a settlement out of court.