From The Couch – Jerome Tang Fired
JM: Jerome Tang is out as K-State’s head basketball coach, apparently fired FOR CAUSE. Rumors are that K-State athletic director Gene Taylor and Tang met on Sunday morning and are discussing the terms of a buyout. I’m a bit surprised that they are not letting Tang coach the final games of the season, but this isn’t necessarily surprising given Tang’s controversial comments of late, which made it to national sports programs as a point of discussion and controversy.
I’m sure we will hear more details tomorrow. This is a positive development for K-State basketball fans. While the timing is a bit odd, I have felt for a while that this was coming. It should be an interesting few weeks coming up. According to the Manhattan Mercury, Tang was fired for cause…
“In doing so, K-State said the firing was “for cause,” claiming that Tang had violated the terms of his employment contract by publicly criticizing his players for lackluster effort in a home loss to Cincinnati.
Such a tactic, if it stands, would allow K-State to avoid paying Tang an $18.7 million buyout that he would be due if the firing were based solely on wins and losses.
It’s unclear whether that would hold up in a court challenge, should Tang sue. The relevant parts of his contract appear to be under the section labeled “Specific Duties and Responsibilities”.
In the ninth clause in that section, the contract states that 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.”
It also states that 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.”…Manhattan Mercury, 2/15/26
JM: Wow, we may have a lawsuit on our hands. This could get ugly.
