Kansas State is moving closer to putting the Jerome Tang era fully in the rearview mirror.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Wildcats are finalizing a settlement that will pay Tang $12 million by the end of 2027. Tang was owed $18 million on his contract before the agreement came together.
Tang’s exit came after last season’s 10-15 finish, which was enough for Kansas State to fire him shortly after the year ended. The split followed a stretch that never lived up to the promise of his first season in Manhattan.
When Tang arrived for the 2022-23 season, the hire looked like a major win for the program. He delivered immediately, guiding Kansas State to a 26-10 record, a Sweet 16 run and a No. 15 finish in the final Associated Press poll.
But the momentum didn’t last. The Wildcats assembled a costly roster built around NIL spending, including Illinois transfer Coleman, who reportedly joined the team for $2 million. Even with the headline additions, Kansas State slipped to 19-15 and missed the playoffs.
The decline continued from there. The Wildcats followed that up with a 16-17 season, and after last year’s 10-15 mark, the administration made its move.
Tang has since resurfaced at Baylor as an assistant coach, returning to a program where he had previously worked as a successful interim coach.
Kansas State, meanwhile, has turned the page to Casey Alexander. After building Belmont into a small-school power, Alexander now inherits a roster made up mostly of new players and a program that needs time to settle in. The Wildcats open the season Nov. 3 at home against South Dakota State.
In Other News...
Jerome Tang's Kansas State Split Just Got More Interesting For Baylor
Kansas States separation from Jerome Tang is moving toward a resolution, with the school and its former basketball coach nearing a $12 million settlement after his firing for cause in February. Tang had been owed more than $18 million if he had been let go without cause, so the financial gap underscores how messy the split became after a difficult season and a postgame rant helped lead to the dismissal.
For Baylor, the part that matters now is Tangs return to Waco as associate head coach. His presence adds another layer to a rivalry that already has plenty of familiarity, and the settlement chatter only makes the aftermath of Kansas States coaching change feel more consequential. The legal and financial pieces are still falling into place, but the coaching fallout has already shifted the focus to what Tangs next chapter means for the Bears. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas States Costly Jerome Tang Split Is Finally Nearing An End
Kansas States long-running dispute with Jerome Tang appears close to wrapping up, with the school and its former mens basketball coach finalizing a settlement tied to his February firing for cause. Tang, who spent four seasons in Manhattan and is now an associate head coach at Baylor, had about $18.7 million left on his contract when he was dismissed, leaving the sides to sort out a pricey separation that has lingered for months.
The agreement would pay Tang $12 million through the end of 2027, trimming the buyout figure and bringing a measure of closure to one of the more costly off-court issues facing the program. For Kansas State, the resolution should finally clear the way to move past the financial fallout of Tangs exit and keep attention on what comes next for a program still adjusting after the breakup. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Run Defense Is Suddenly Under Real Pressure
Kansas States run defense has gone from a strength to a concern in just two games, and the timing is not ideal with Houston next on the schedule. The Wildcats were pushed around on the ground by Cincinnati and then again by Tulane, leaving first-year coach Collin Klein to sort through what went wrong in each matchup and try to get the front seven back on track before the Cougars arrive with a solid rushing attack.
The bigger question now is whether Kansas State can correct the problem quickly enough to keep it from becoming a trend. Klein has already acknowledged the issues were not exactly the same from one game to the next, which makes the fix more complicated, and the Wildcats do not have much margin for error if they want to avoid a third straight outing of chasing answers against the run. [Read more 🡒]