3 Coaches Kansas State Should Interview for their Head Coaching Vacancy
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MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas State Wildcats got a head start on the coaching carousel before any other Power Four Conference school. That doesn't mean much though as most viable candidates will be unavailable to interview until at least Selection Sunday.
Here is a look at some reasons why these sitting head coaching candidates should at least receive an interview from the Wildcats' administration.
Phill Martelli Jr. of VCU
Another potential candidate for the K-State position is Phil Martelli Jr., partly because he did well at Bryant and has done well, and his team has had a good start at VCU. He fits in well with a school that wants to bring back its culture and competitive edge, and that is one reason why K-State should consider interviewing him.
Martelli Jr. has a history of taking programs to new heights very quickly. He took the Bulldogs to 20 wins in his first year as head coach during the 2023–24 season. From there, he won both the regular-season and tournament titles in the America East in 2025. This earned the school its second-ever spot in the NCAA Tournament. Before that, he was an integral part as an assistant coach at Niagara and helped the Purple Eagles make the NCAA tournament in 2007.
A strong argument can be made that K-State needs a "program builder" to help them get back on track quickly after Jerome Tang's Wildcat team's have not had a 20-plus winning season since the 2022-23 season.
Martelli Jr.'s coaching style is considered to be fast-paced and fun, which makes it appealing to both new players and fans who want to watch some exciting basketball. With 81.8 points per game, his Bulldogs team was one of the top 25 scoring teams in the country in 2024–25.
Phil Jr. grew up with basketball with his well-known coach dad, Phil Martelli, who was a head coach at Saint Joseph's and an assistant at Michigan. He has seen the changes in college basketball, and he stands out among other mid-major coaches because he has shown he can handle the new college sports landscape, especially the transfer portal and NIL.
He has been a coach at almost every level, from the NBA G-League to mid-majors to now being a head coach in the Atlantic 10 conference. He has many different kinds of experience, which makes it likely that he can manage K-State's growing NIL group resources well enough to compete with teams like UCF and West Virginia in the Big 12.
Tony Skinn of George Mason
Tony Skinn is a possible choice to be the next coach at K-State. Skinn is now the head coach at George Mason after being an assistant coach at high-major programs like Ohio State and Maryland. His fast ascension and strategic tactics make him a good fit for a Big 12 school that wants to improve its culture and competitive status.
Skinn is noted for coaching a certain style of defense, which is quite aggressive. His George Mason team plays with a concentration on gritty, aggressive play, and his Patriots team defense is considered one of the best in the Atlantic 10 conference.
Tang was fired after a season in which the Wildcats had difficulties with effort and consistency. Skinn's ability to expect "toughness and grit" could provide the Manhattan community with the cultural reset they want. In his first season as the Patriots' head coach, his team began the season with a 13-2 start, and they ended up winning 20 games that season. His George Mason team began this season with an 18-1 record, and last season, they were regular-season co-champions with VCU.
Skinn won 40 games faster than any previous coach at George Mason. He has set records in his first three seasons as the Patriots' head coach, which shows that he can win right away. In 2024–25, he guided the Patriots to a school record of 27 wins and a share of their first-ever Atlantic 10 regular-season title.
Skinn this season has guided George Mason to a 21–6 record up to this point in the season and has kept them near the top of the A-10 standings, as they are currently tied for third place in the conference standings. He has many things to be proud of as head coach, with a 716 winning percentage during his time at George Mason.
Skinn has demonstrated his ability to manage the transfer portal and NIL effectively, which is challenging at the mid-major level, especially after a successful season when high-major programs continuously recruit low-major players who have had productive seasons. After his first season, he had to deal with a big shift in his roster, as his team lost 90% of its productivity from the previous season.
He should be a coach that K-State at least considered giving the invitation to interview for their head coaching vacancy, as he has developed a strong coaching resume and is well respected in the college basketball coaching community.
John Groce of Akron
Groce is Akron's head coach, and his ability to coach in the MAC has given him new life as a head coach in college basketball. K-State's athletic director Gene Taylor may be looking for someone with experience in big college programs, as Groce has had experience previously as head coach at Illinois.
Groce is likely at the pinnacle of his coaching profession. The Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year award goes to the best mid-major coach in the country every year, and last year, in 2025, he won it. In 2024–25, he helped Akron win 28 games, which was a school record, and his team went 17–1 in the conference, which led the Zips to their second NCAA tournament appearance and third in four years.
With a record of 22–5 (13–1 in the MAC), his Zips have won at least 20 games in five of the last six years. He can keep a winning mindset going from year to year for a K-State team that wants stability; he may be someone whom the Wildcats may seriously consider for an interview.
Groce has faced criticism in the past while being the Fighting Illini head coach. He was Illinois' head coach from 2012 to 2017, and his teams went a combined 95–75, making the NCAA tournament only in his first season as their head coach.
Most may agree that Groce's "failed" time at Illinois wasn't totally a disappointment because he won 56% of his games there, and he had a winning record in all but one season. They also may have said that he has changed his coaching philosophy and the ways he runs his program since then as Akron's head coach. Hiring coaches in their "second act," such as Rick Barnes or Kelvin Sampson, typically leads to success in recent times.
In support of offering him an interview, Groce has built one of the best in the country at the mid-major level, which should not be overlooked. Akron's offense ranks 4th in the country in Adjusted Offensive Rating and 8th in scoring (89.9 PPG) this season.
These three coaches are not being recommended to be the next Kansas State head basketball coach but they should be seriously considered for at least an interview.
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Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Kansas State On SI.