Firing Jerome Tang Was the Right Thing and Only Thing for Kansas State To Do
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Want to know why Kansas State fired men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang? It’s easy to figure out, basically a no-brainer.
Tang did this to himself on the night of Feb. 11, after Kansas State’s mediocre men’s basketball team was blown out at home by a .500 Cincinnati team, 91-62.
Tang went on a legendary and shocking rant about his players. His language went beyond tough love and motivation, something players, fans, alumni and school administrators generally can tolerate.
To a certain extent.
In his now-legendary news conference, Tang said the word “embarrassed” several times. His characterization was in reference to his players and their performance.
What Tang didn’t get was how embarrassing — and damaging — it was to himself. Kansas State must have thought so, too. Tang is the public face of the men’s basketball program. What he says publicly is noticed. His words are taken seriously.
Kansas State did the right thing when it fired Tang. Kansas State did the only thing it could do.
For-cause firing
Kansas State fired Tang on Sunday night for cause, which sources told ESPN was because of language in the coach’s contract that forbids any activity that brings “public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule” to Kansas State.
Tang seemed to breach that part of his contract, in K-State’s view. Tang’s news conference received national attention. Media outlets replayed what he said. He was widely criticized.
K-State’s statement
Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor released a statement Sunday night about Tang.
“This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men’s basketball program,” Taylor said in a statement.
“Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. We wish Coach Tang and his family all the best moving forward.”
Jerome Tang’s response
Tang told ESPN, in a statement: “I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination.
“I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.”
Going beyond Taylor’s statement, Tang’s firing had little to do with the basketball team’s performance in what has become a lost season. The Wildcats, last in the Big 12, are 10-15 overall and 1-11 in the conference. Since starting the season 5-0, K-State is 5-15.
In his four seasons, Tang was 71-57. In his first season, he took the Wildcats to the Elite Eight.
Yes, the Wildcats were destroyed by Cincinnati. Yes, rival Kansas came into Bramlage Coliseum and blew open a close game to win, 86-62.
With only six regular-season games remaining, if K-State wanted to fire Tang for the basketball team’s performance, they could have waited a month. Clearly, there was urgency to remove Tang now.
Then, there were the uniforms
Beyond his rant, Tang doubled down by removing players’ names off their uniforms for Saturday’s game at third-ranked Houston. The move felt more petty than motivational, as if Tang wanted to publicly embarrass his players through their uniforms.
Taylor’s statement didn’t directly address the uniform fiasco, but it said: “Recent public comments and conduct.”
If the rant wasn’t enough — and it probably was more than enough — removing players’ names from the uniforms might have been the final tipping point for Kansas State.
After the Houston game, Tang brought players Abdi Bashir Jr. and Nate Johnson to his news conference. Both players expressed support for Tang and his decision to remove the players’ names off the uniforms.
The rant …
Here is what Tang said after the Cincinnati game:
“This was embarrassing. These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year.
“I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section.
“It is ridiculous. We got practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. We will get this thing right. I have no answer and no words.
“You got two questions. Whoever wants to ask two questions, I’ll answer them to the best of my ability. But right now, I’m like pissed. This is, this is … “
Tang then answered an innocuous question about K-State’s performance at home and on the road. Tang answered the question then quickly got back to his rant about his players.
“These dudes got to have some pride, it means something to wear K-State uniform, it means something to put on this purple,” Tang said.
“Everything this university is about and all that it’s been about [is] why I love this place. They don’t love this place so they don’t deserve to be here.”
Tang then was asked about fans wearing paper bags over their heads. “I’d wear a paper bag, too, if I were them,” he said.
Tang stood up and walked away, ending the news conference. The damage was done, a self-immolation rarely seen. Tang didn’t know it at the time, but his K-State career probably ended with that news conference, too.
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Chuck Bausman is a writer for Kansas State on SI. Chuck formerly was the Executive Sports Editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, Executive Sports Editor of the Courier-Post in South Jersey and Sports Copy Editor for the Detroit Free Press. He has been a Big Ten enthusiast for nearly forever. He learned how to cuss by watching Philly sports. You can reach Chuck at: bausmac@icloud.com