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MANHATTAN — Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said he was "really concerned" about Jerome Tang's postgame comments following the Wildcats' loss to Cincinnati on Feb. 11, leading to his decision to fire the men's basketball coach "for cause."
Taylor met with reporters on Sunday, Feb. 15, about an hour after the university officially announced it parted ways with Tang amid his fourth season as coach. Tang said in a statement that he plans to fight the university's "for cause" label. He would be owed $18.675 million if he were fired without cause.
Taylor said he made the final decision on Saturday, Feb. 14, while the Wildcats were playing at No. 3 Houston, a game they lost 78-64. He informed Tang of his decision on Sunday.
Taylor alluded to Tang's postgame press conference following the team's 29-point loss to Cincinnati at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 11 as part of the reason for his firing.
"There's language in his contract about certain things that could potentially bring embarrassment," Taylor said. "Basically, his comments about the student-athletes and the negative reaction to those comments from sources, both nationally and locally, is where it kind of felt like I needed to make the decision."
Tang's press conference after the Wildcats' loss to Cincinnati went viral, with multiple national outlets critical of the coach's statement. The coach was already considered on the hot seat because of the Wildcats' decline over the last three seasons, after Tang led the program to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in his debut season.
Clips of Tang's outburst were featured on SportsCenter and "Pardon The Interuption," while they were also shared on large social media platforms and accounts. Tang has called out his team on multiple occasions this season, but none came across stronger than after the loss to the Bearcats.
"This was embarrassing," Tang said of his team's performance on Wednesday. "These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I'm embarrassed for the university, I'm embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It's just ridiculous."
Those comments didn't sit well with Taylor, who spent the following days reflecting on Tang's future as the program's leader. When he spoke with Tang about the press conference, he tried to find out why he had done it. Tang told him that he was "going to get this fixed."
Taylor isn't giving him that opportunity. Combining Tang's comments and the Wildcats' downward trajectory and the team's recent play after starting the season 5-0, Taylor informed Kansas State President Richard Linton of his decision on Saturday.
Taylor said Tang was allowed to coach the Wildcats in their loss at Houston because he was "out of town" and was unable to put everything together. He said that while the game was going on, he made the decision and talked to Linton.
"It was just the combination of things," Taylor said. "That's when I realized that what he said about the student athletes really concerned me."
Taylor said he informed Tang of his decision to fire him for cause on Sunday. He said most of the day was spent discussing how the school would proceed to finalize the decision.
Tang was allowed to meet with the team and inform them of his firing. Taylor followed up before meeting with the staff, asking Matthew Driscoll to serve as the interim coach.
"I just told them what moving forward was going to be," Taylor said. "It's tough; it's an emotional thing. They're shocked, they're sad, they're angry. I just ask them to, if they're angry, they should be angry at mea nd I asked them to finish the year strong for the program, for Coach Tang and for the staff."
Minutes before Taylor's Sunday night press conference, Tang released a statement through multiple national college athletics insiders. He told them that he planned to fight the cause language.
"I am deeply disappointed with the university's decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination," Tang said in his statement. "I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.
"I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special. I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes."
Asked about Tang's plan to fight the characterization, Taylor said, "I don't know. I'm not an attorney, so I guess at this point, it lands in their hands, and we'll see where it goes."
Tang was 71-57 during his Kansas State career. The Wildcats are 10-15 overall and 1-11 in Big 12 play with six games and the Big 12 Tournament remaining for the 2025-26 season.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Why Kansas State says it's firing Jerome Tang for cause
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Taylor met with reporters on Sunday, Feb. 15, about an hour after the university officially announced it parted ways with Tang amid his fourth season as coach. Tang said in a statement that he plans to fight the university's "for cause" label. He would be owed $18.675 million if he were fired without cause.
Taylor said he made the final decision on Saturday, Feb. 14, while the Wildcats were playing at No. 3 Houston, a game they lost 78-64. He informed Tang of his decision on Sunday.
Taylor alluded to Tang's postgame press conference following the team's 29-point loss to Cincinnati at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 11 as part of the reason for his firing.
"There's language in his contract about certain things that could potentially bring embarrassment," Taylor said. "Basically, his comments about the student-athletes and the negative reaction to those comments from sources, both nationally and locally, is where it kind of felt like I needed to make the decision."
Jerome Tang's viral press conference at center of 'for cause' firing
Tang's press conference after the Wildcats' loss to Cincinnati went viral, with multiple national outlets critical of the coach's statement. The coach was already considered on the hot seat because of the Wildcats' decline over the last three seasons, after Tang led the program to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in his debut season.
Clips of Tang's outburst were featured on SportsCenter and "Pardon The Interuption," while they were also shared on large social media platforms and accounts. Tang has called out his team on multiple occasions this season, but none came across stronger than after the loss to the Bearcats.
"This was embarrassing," Tang said of his team's performance on Wednesday. "These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I'm embarrassed for the university, I'm embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It's just ridiculous."
Gene Taylor decided to fire Jerome Tang during the Houston game
Those comments didn't sit well with Taylor, who spent the following days reflecting on Tang's future as the program's leader. When he spoke with Tang about the press conference, he tried to find out why he had done it. Tang told him that he was "going to get this fixed."
Taylor isn't giving him that opportunity. Combining Tang's comments and the Wildcats' downward trajectory and the team's recent play after starting the season 5-0, Taylor informed Kansas State President Richard Linton of his decision on Saturday.
Taylor said Tang was allowed to coach the Wildcats in their loss at Houston because he was "out of town" and was unable to put everything together. He said that while the game was going on, he made the decision and talked to Linton.
"It was just the combination of things," Taylor said. "That's when I realized that what he said about the student athletes really concerned me."
Jerome Tang met with Kansas State basketball players on Sunday
Taylor said he informed Tang of his decision to fire him for cause on Sunday. He said most of the day was spent discussing how the school would proceed to finalize the decision.
Tang was allowed to meet with the team and inform them of his firing. Taylor followed up before meeting with the staff, asking Matthew Driscoll to serve as the interim coach.
"I just told them what moving forward was going to be," Taylor said. "It's tough; it's an emotional thing. They're shocked, they're sad, they're angry. I just ask them to, if they're angry, they should be angry at mea nd I asked them to finish the year strong for the program, for Coach Tang and for the staff."
Jerome Tang said he will fight the 'for cause' firing
Minutes before Taylor's Sunday night press conference, Tang released a statement through multiple national college athletics insiders. He told them that he planned to fight the cause language.
"I am deeply disappointed with the university's decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination," Tang said in his statement. "I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.
"I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special. I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes."
Asked about Tang's plan to fight the characterization, Taylor said, "I don't know. I'm not an attorney, so I guess at this point, it lands in their hands, and we'll see where it goes."
Tang was 71-57 during his Kansas State career. The Wildcats are 10-15 overall and 1-11 in Big 12 play with six games and the Big 12 Tournament remaining for the 2025-26 season.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Why Kansas State says it's firing Jerome Tang for cause
Continue reading...
