Kansas State attempting to fire Jerome Tang for cause for disparaging Wildcats players

Kansas State administrators are attempting to fire now-former head men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang for cause to potentially avoid paying his $18.7 million buyout, according to On3‘s Pete Nakos. The cause is reportedly Tang’s inflammatory comments made about Wildcats players last week, according to The Mercury.

Following last Wednesday’s “embarrassing” 91-62 home loss to Cincinnati, Tang publicly eviscerated his players’ effort in the game during a now-viral postgame press conference, declaring “these dudes did not deserve to wear this uniform.”

“This was embarrassing. These dudes did not deserve to wear this uniform,” Tang said Wednesday. “There will be very few in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section. We have practice at 6 a.m. (Thursday) morning. We will get this thing right. I have no answers and no words.”

The Mercury reports those disparaging comments are being viewed by Kansas State officials as having violated the terms of Tang’s employment contract. Specifically, the ninth clause under the “Specific Duties and Responsibilities” section of his contract which stipulates the coach must be “conducting themself at all times in a manner consistent with the position of head coach, an instructor of student-athletes, and an ambassador and representative of K-State Athletics and the university,” per the Mercury.

The clause also specifically says Tang “shall not engage in any behavior, actions, or activities that subjects coach, K-State Athletics, or the university to public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule, or scandal,” and his postgame comments quickly went viral. ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon blasted Tang for his criticism of his own players the next day.

“Can I ask the relevant question? Who recruited these people? Didn’t Tang recruit these people? He’s been there — he’s in his fourth season. So he didn’t inherit any of these people,” Kornheiser said Thursday afternoon on ESPN. “So if mistakes are made, errors of judgment, they are his errors of judgment. I’m not saying he’s a bad coach. I was told he won 26 games in his first year and made the Elite Eight. He may have inherited some players on that team. But the team he’s got now, he clearly hates.”

The 11th clause of “Specific Duties and Responsibilities” section of Tang’s contract maintains the Kansas State head coach must be “engaging in — and actively monitoring to ensure the program’s coaches and employees are engaging in — fair, safe, and responsible treatment of the team’s student-athletes and avoiding behavior, actions, and activities that could jeopardize a student-athlete’s welfare, health, or safety,” per The Mercury. And based on what he said about his players Wednesday night, there appears to be at least some question about Tang’s behavior as it relates to his Wildcats players.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Kansas State’s use of behavioral clauses in his contract will hold up to legal scrutiny should Tang sue to recoup his full $18.7 million buyout, but it’s at least being explored by university administrators.

The Wildcats (10-15, 1-11 Big 12) are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak and have lost 11 of their last 12 games to tie Utah for last place in the Big 12.

Since guiding the Wildcats to the Elite Eight his first season (2022-23), Tang is just 45-47 over the past three years. Kansas State was knocked out of the NIT First Round in 2024, failed to make the NCAA Tournament in 2025, and is poised to miss the NCAA Tournament once again in 2026. Tang finishes 71-57 in four seasons in Manhattan.