Kansas State and Jerome Tang are nearly at the finish line on a settlement that would put an end to the buyout fight stemming from his firing earlier this year.
Sources confirmed ESPN’s report that K-State has agreed to pay Tang around $12 million after dismissing him “for cause.” That figure is well short of the roughly $18.7 million the school would have owed if it had let him go “without cause,” and it trims nearly $7 million off the original buyout before legal costs are factored in.
Tang never filed a lawsuit against the Wildcats, but his side had made clear a legal battle was coming after Kansas State tried to void the payout entirely. Athletics director Gene Taylor moved to fire Tang “for cause” after Tang made negative comments about K-State players that spread widely following a blowout loss to Cincinnati last February.
The expected agreement gives both sides a chance to move on. Tang is now serving as an associate head coach under Scott Drew at Baylor, while Kansas State has already turned the page by hiring Casey Alexander from Belmont as its new head coach.
Tang’s run in Manhattan ended at 71-57 over four seasons. It opened with a bang, as he led the Wildcats to 26 wins and an Elite Eight appearance in his first year.
But Kansas State never got back to the NCAA Tournament under his watch. The Wildcats won 19 games and landed in the NIT in his second season, then finished below .500 in both 2025 and 2026.
By last season, the frustration around the program was impossible to miss. A large group of students showed up to games wearing paper bags over their heads, a blunt sign of how the Tang era had worn thin.
The coach’s sharp postgame criticism after the home loss to Cincinnati became the moment that sealed his fate in Manhattan.
“This was embarrassing,” Tang said at the time. “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform.
There will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university.
I’m embarrassed for our fans and our student section. It is just ridiculous.”
Legal experts expected the matter to end in a settlement, and the costs of keeping it going were reportedly steep. A source said attorney fees on both sides topped more than $1 million during the standoff.
With the 2026-27 college basketball season approaching, a deal would let everyone shift focus to what comes next. Kansas State is scheduled to play Baylor on Jan. 2 at Foster Pavillion in Waco, Texas.
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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 Can Finally Move On From The Jerome Tang Split
Kansas States coaching search is over, but the fallout from the Jerome Tang era is still being sorted out long after the Wildcats decided to move in a different direction. Tang was let go after the 2022-23 season, and the school has spent the months since trying to close the book on a split that carried real financial weight as well as basketball implications.
The latest step is a deal that would pay Tang $12 million by the end of 2027, trimming the remaining money from his contract and allowing both sides to put the separation behind them. Tang has already resurfaced at Baylor as an assistant coach, while Kansas State has turned the program over to Casey Alexander, who now inherits the task of moving the Wildcats forward without the unresolved business hanging over the transition. [Read more 🡒]