Jerome Tang Fired by Kansas State MCBB After Calling Out Players, Contract Buyout Info Revealed

Earlier this week, Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang said that some of his players wouldn't be back on the team next year.

It turns out Tang will no longer be with the Wildcats either.

Kansas State is moving on from Tang after three and a half seasons at the helm.

The Wildcats named Matthew Driscoll their interim head coach, according to Wyatt Wheeler of the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Kansas State athletics director Gene Taylor said that Tang has "been terminated for cause" and specifically noted Tang's comments made about his players earlier this week.

Tang responded to his dismissal in a statement to Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68:

Tang has an $18 million buyout, according to Goodman, though he and the school are still discussing terms.

Kansas State is off to a disastrous 10-15 start to the season, including a 1-11 record in conference play. After a blowout loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday, Tang ripped his players' efforts and said they "do not deserve to wear this uniform."

"These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year," he told reporters. "I'm embarrassed for the university. I'm embarrassed for our fans and our student section. It is just ridiculous. It means something to wear a K-State uniform. It means something to put on this purple, and everything this university is about and why I love this place. They don't love this place, so they don't deserve to be here."

Tang then removed his players' names from their jerseys for Saturday's game against Houston. That attempt to inspire more from his squad failed, as the Wildcats lost 78-64, marking their sixth consecutive loss.

Tang, who was an assistant at Baylor from 2003 to 2022, took over as Kansas State's head coach ahead of the 2022-23 season and found immediate success, leading the Wildcats to a 26-10 record and an Elite Eight appearance.

Kansas State has struggled to repeat that success in recent years, though, missing the tournament the last two seasons and well on its way to doing so again this year.

Clearly, the Wildcats needed a change to get things trending in the right direction, and the school ultimately felt it was time to move on from Tang.