After spending nearly two decades as an assistant and associate head coach at Baylor under Scott Drew, former Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang is reportedly set to return to the program as associate head coach.
Tang, 59, was dismissed by Kansas State in February after a postgame press conference where he criticized the effort and performance of his players. At the time of his firing, the Wildcats were 10-15 overall and 1-11 in Big 12 play during his fourth season at the helm.
Tang initially made a strong impression at K-State, guiding the team to the Elite Eight in 2023 following a 26-10 campaign and a third-place conference finish. However, the program failed to replicate that success in the following three seasons, missing the NCAA Tournament each year and finishing no higher than ninth in the Big 12.
Tang had previously served as Baylor’s associate head coach from 2017 to 2022, following 14 years as an assistant. He was part of the Bears’ transformation from a struggling program plagued by off-court issues under Dave Bliss—including a murder committed by one player against another—to a national powerhouse. Drew arrived in 2003, going 8-21 in his first season, and didn’t post a winning record until 2007-08. Baylor soon became a regular NCAA Tournament contender, culminating in a national championship in 2021.
That title helped Tang land his first head coaching job. He also worked closely with current WSU head coach Paul Mills, who was a Drew assistant from 2003 until taking over at Oral Roberts in 2017.
Now returning to familiar territory, Tang hopes to revive his career after falling out of favor in Manhattan. Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor fired Tang “for cause,” arguing that the coach’s press conference brought embarrassment to the university. Tang is contesting that characterization and seeking to recover as much of his $18.7 million buyout as possible.
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