Jerome Tang’s rise in college basketball was as fast as it was dramatic-and his fall at Kansas State has been just as striking.
In his debut season in Manhattan, Tang looked like the next big thing. The Wildcats caught fire late in the year, winning four of their final five regular-season games and riding that momentum straight into March Madness.
With 5-foot-8 point guard Markquis Nowell leading the charge, Kansas State stunned Kentucky in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Tang didn’t hold back in the postgame, delivering a jab that still echoes in Lexington.
“All those old dudes that played for Kentucky, they ain’t coming back, right?” Tang said.
“Tradition does not help you if you don’t get out there on the floor and play with some dudes. We had more dudes than they did today.”
That quote became part of the Wildcats’ legend that spring, and the team’s swagger only grew in the Sweet 16. In a now-iconic moment at Madison Square Garden, Nowell appeared to argue with Tang mid-possession-only to fire a no-look lob for a reverse alley-oop that broke a tie in overtime against Michigan State. The play was pure theater, and Kansas State rode the wave into the Elite Eight before falling to Florida Atlantic.
Tang made headlines again after that loss, but not for anything on the court. In a rare move, he entered FAU’s locker room postgame to congratulate them-a gesture that raised eyebrows and, in retrospect, may have hinted at the unraveling to come.
Since that high point, things have taken a sharp turn. Tang went just 45-47 over the next two seasons, and on Sunday, Kansas State made the decision to part ways with him.
The school is reportedly pursuing a dismissal “for cause” to avoid paying out an $18 million buyout. At the center of that effort?
Tang’s recent public comments and actions-particularly following a blowout loss to Houston.
In that game, Tang made a bold statement by removing the names from the back of his players’ jerseys. After the game, his frustration boiled over in a postgame press conference that quickly went viral.
“These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform,” Tang said. “There will be very few of them in it next year.
I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section. It is ridiculous … I have no answer.
No words.”
It was a raw, unfiltered moment from a coach who had clearly reached a breaking point. And now, he’s out of a job.
The timing is tough to ignore. Tang had signed a lucrative extension following that 2023 tournament run, and now, just a few seasons later, his tenure has ended in controversy. Whether it was a calculated exit or a combustible situation that finally exploded, the result is the same: Tang is out, and Kansas State is left to pick up the pieces.
In the meantime, Matt Driscoll will step in as interim head coach. While his name might not ring a bell for casual fans, his energy and sideline fire have made him a familiar face in college basketball circles.
It’s a swift and sobering fall for Tang, who once looked like he might turn Kansas State into a perennial contender. Instead, his tenure ends with more questions than answers-and a program now searching for stability after a rollercoaster few years.