Former K-State basketball coach Jerome Tang reportedly has new job in the Big 12
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jerome Tang is reportedly on the verge of joining Baylor as associate head coach.
- K-State fired Tang “for cause” in February to avoid paying disputed $18.7 million buyout.
- Tang went 71-57 at K-State and the Wildcats missed the NCAA Tournament three seasons.
Jerome Tang may not have coached his final basketball game at Bramlage Coliseum.
But if he returns it will be in a new job, and with a different team.
The former K-State men’s basketball coach, who was fired midway through his fourth season with the Wildcats earlier this year, is on the verge of returning to Baylor as an associate head coach under Scott Drew, according to a report from ESPN.
That move is hardly a surprise given Tang’s long history with the Bears. Before he came to Manhattan, he spent nearly two decades working as an assistant in Waco, Texas. Tang and Drew won a lot of games together with the Bears and even claimed a national championship in 2021.
Interestingly, Baylor hasn’t advanced beyond the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament since Tang left for K-State in 2022. This past season, Baylor failed to win 20 games for the first time since 2011 and finished with a mediocre record of 17-17.
Perhaps adding Tang back to the mix will help the Bears get back on track as a hoops program.
Tang went 71-57 during his four seasons at K-State before he was fired “for cause” in February when he made viral comments about his team’s performance following a humiliating home loss to Cincinnati.
The Wildcats got off to a hot start under Tang, as he led them to 26 victories and a trip to the Elite Eight in 2023. But they missed the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons.
Things got particularly bad for K-State this year, when the team lost 20 games and flirted with last place in the Big 12.
A legal fight between K-State and Tang could still loom. K-State fired Tang “for cause” in an attempt to avoid paying him a buyout sum of $18.7 million. Tang’s legal team has promised to fight the “for cause” designation in his dismissal and attempt to recoup his full buyout. As of Tuesday afternoon, no case had been filed on Tang’s behalf in Riley County.
It’s possible both sides are negotiating an out-of-court settlement.
In any case, K-State replaced Tang with new head coach Casey Alexander.
K-State and Baylor typically play once per season in Big 12 action. The Wildcats played host to the Bears this year and won 90-74.
If the usual schedule rotation continues, Tang could return to Bramlage Coliseum in 2028 as Baylor’s lead assistant.