The Pro's and Con's of Making a Coaching Change for K-State Basketball

The men's basketball team's season has not gone as expected, and more and more individuals are voicing their opinions about a possible coaching change.

Kansas State Wildcats head coach Jerome Tang (left) with assistant coach Matthew Driscoll. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Can Jerome Tang and his coaching staff turn around this season and convince fans that they should stay for the 2026-27 season?

Tang's tenure at Kansas State has been marked by both successes and setbacks. He led the school to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in his first season in Manhattan, setting a high standard. But the team has had problems keeping up the early excitement, which has led to criticism for him and his coaching staff after the 2022-23 season.

Here first is a look at some of the social media reactions about Tang and the state of the basketball program.

Jerome Tang is really holding onto his one successful year with Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson...

It's a real shame for a school with good NIL funding pic.twitter.com/lleLml9a02

— Brandon Meeks (@MeeksKnowsBall) January 25, 2026

Love him or hate him, Jerome Tang is more than a coach. He's a teacher and a good example for young men.

I understand those qualities only go so far in the college ranks because the expectation is that you'll also win games.

But I appreciated his message Saturday ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6ajEqkEZS2

— Andrew Lind (@WIBWAndrew) January 19, 2026

Jerome Tang’s squad this year pic.twitter.com/MghiEYKzNa

— Aint No Seats Podcast (@AintNoSeatsPod) January 25, 2026

Here is where I am at: The @KStateMBB under Jerome Tang is now an embarrassment to the university and the athletic program. He can’t be the coach next year. However his 18 million dollar buyout is better spent on football. The first order of business needs to be to attempt to..

— WildRoyal1578 (@Kcroyals1564221) January 25, 2026

That fresh start to the basketball program next season is going to hit so hard

— 785 Sports (@785SportsKSU) January 25, 2026

At this point in the season, here are the good and bad things about the "Jerome Tang Era."

The pros of the Tang Era begin and mostly end after his first season as the Wildcats' head coach. He had instant success in his first season, when he led the Wildcats to a 26–10 record and a spot in the Elite Eight. He was selected Naismith College Coach of the Year, which is still the highest individual honor that has ever happened to him while K-State's head coach.

Another pro going for Tang has been, generally speaking, his recruiting and transfer portal pick-ups. Tang has been one of the best recruiters in the Big 12 during his tenure by getting sought-after players like All-American PJ Haggerty and Keyontae Johnson to come play for K-State.

He has been credited with bringing back the "Octagon of Doom." One of his most popular moves during his coaching tenure was officially bringing back the song "Sandstorm."

Tang has also spent time in the student section, bought pizza for students waiting in line in freezing temperatures, and even danced with students in the student section following a Wildcat win. He was able to get the home-court advantage back at Bramlage Coliseum for the most part.

He won 39 games and lost 9 at home in his first three seasons, including 13 against teams ranked in the Top 25. This season, however, the team has a record of only 7-5 at home.

The cons of keeping him and his staff past this season are straightforward when looking at the team's record over the past three seasons.

There has been a recent slump in performance and a lack of consistency as the team has hovered around .500 over the past three seasons. The number of wins has slowly gone down since the 26-win season.

*19–15 (NIT first round loss) in 2023–2024
*16–17 in 2024–25 (no postseason tournament)
*10–10 as of late January (Not projected to make a post-season tournament)

Problems in the conference play has many fans not happy. Tang has had trouble in the expanded Big 12, even though he always starts off strong in non-conference games. For example, he and his team went 11-7 in Big 12 play in 2023, 8-10 in 2024, and 9-11 in 2025, and this season they are 1-6 in conference play. Overall, since being the Wildcats coach, K-State's Big 12 record is 29-34.

Some fans have been critical of Tang's "Live by the three, die by the three" offensive approach, which has been criticized for relying too much on the three-point shot. Some fans have pointed out that he and his coaching staff haven't had a good "Plan B," which is why they've lost by double digits to teams like Kansas, as they did this past weekend, when three point shot have not fallen in consistent basis.

The "hot seat" talk for the 2025–26 season has prompted fans and pundits to wonder about his future, marking the first time since he took over that such concerns have arisen.

After K-State lost to Kansas by 24 points, a lot of people remarked about his time as the head coach of the Wildcats coming to an end. K-State lost to Seton Hall at home by 11 and to Bowling Green at home by 16, so fans since December have been voicing concerns about the coaching staff.

Regardless of fans' thoughts on if he should be the head coach of the Wildcats past this season, it is up to the university and the athletic department to decide if he will be leading K-State for the 2026-27 season.

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