K-State and former men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang are finalizing a settlement agreement that would pay Tang $12 million through the end of 2027, ESPN reported.
K-State Athletics attempted to fire Tang for cause in February, disputing its obligation to pay the $18.7 million remaining on his contract. Tang never filed a lawsuit against K-State, but the two sides continued negotiations over his buyout.
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On Feb. 15, one day after the Wildcats’ 78-64 loss to then-No. 3 Houston, K-State Athletics announced Tang’s firing. Gene Taylor, director of athletics, cited Tang’s “recent public comments and conduct” and the program’s overall direction, stating they did not align with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university.
The firing came four days after a 91-62 home loss to Cincinnati on Feb. 11, when Tang publicly criticized his players after the loss; he said some players did not deserve to wear the K-State uniform and that he was embarrassed for the university, fans and the student section. ESPN reported that the for-cause firing was tied to contract language concerning conduct that brings “public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule” to K-State.
The Wildcats entered the Cincinnati game with a 10-14 overall record and a 1-10 mark in Big 12 play. The loss marked their fifth straight. K-State then lost its sixth consecutive game at Houston, ending Tang’s tenure at 10-15 overall and 1-11 in conference play.
Associate head coach Matthew Driscoll took over as interim head coach after Tang’s dismissal. Driscoll assumed the role with 10 regular-season games remaining, becoming the first K-State interim head coach to replace a sitting coach mid-season.
Tang finished his K-State tenure with a 71-57 record over nearly four seasons. He made an immediate impact in 2022-23, leading the Wildcats to a 26-10 record and an Elite Eight appearance alongside All-Americans Keyonte Johnson and Markquis Nowell, and earned National Coach of the Year honors. K-State followed that season with a 19-15 record and an NIT appearance in 2023-24, then went 16-17 in 2024-25.
Tang was under contract with K-State through the 2030-31 season. He returned to Baylor as the program’s associate head coach after leaving K-State, where he spent 19 seasons on Scott Drew’s staff before taking the Wildcats’ head coaching job.
