Report: Kansas State Athletic Department Still Has Confidence In Jerome Tang

Mar 12, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas State Wildcats coach Jerome Tang on the sidelines during the first half against the Baylor Bears at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Kansas State athletic department continues to show its support for basketball coach Jerome Tang.

Even after the Wildcats' season came to an end Wednesday, athletic director Gene Taylor has faith in Tang. He told the Kansas City Star he has a "ton of confidence" in Tang, who is in his third season

The Wildcats fell to Baylor Wednesday night in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament, ending any hopes of competing in the NCAA Tournament.

Coleman Hawkins, who had a season-high 26 points against Arizona State, dropped points on 2-of-9 shooting against the Bears. David N'Guessan led the team with 20 points and 10 rebounds but had minimal help from his starting unit. The Wildcats collectively shot 12 percent from 3-point range, with several questionable shots from long distance.

This marks the second straight year the Wildcats will miss the NCAA Tournament. In Tang's first year, they advanced to the Elite Eight. This year was especially disappointing because the Wildcats spent a bunch of NIL money to acquire players like Hawkins, who transferred from Illinois, and Dug McDaniel (Michigan).

The Wildcats showed signs of turning the corner with a six-game winning streak in late January and early February before reverting to their inconsistent ways. Tang can now focus on continuing to recruit and the transfer portal. He recently received commitments from high school players Exavier Wilson and Ashton Magee for the 2025 recruiting class.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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