Report: Kansas State to Hire Longtime Drew Assistant Jerome Tang as Next Head Coach

Multiple reports say that Jerome Tang, Scott Drew’s first hire when he came to Baylor in 2003, is nearing an agreement to become the next head coach for the Kansas State Wildcats.

Tang has been an enormous part of the rebuild and rise to national prominence of the Baylor Bears men’s basketball team, culminating in a national championship in 2021. His name has been brought up for numerous open positions in the past several years, particularly after the Bears won it all last season. He was also rumored to be in the mix for recently open positions at Georgia and Louisville. Tang may have elected to stay in the Big XII to take advantage of his existing coaching and recruiting relationships.

While it is hard to see him go, and especially to a conference rival, Baylor fans should certainly wish him great success as he gets his chance to build his own program. The cupboard is not bare at Kansas State, a program that has had success in the last two decades, including a share of the conference title in 2013 and 2019. Then head coach Bruce Weber was awarded Big XII Coach of the Year in 2013, resigning at the end of a disjointed season in 2022 after missing the NCAA Tournament and ending a 10 year tenure.

Tang will undoubtedly build a strong culture for the Wildcats and bring with him pieces of what has helped Baylor become one of the most successful programs in college basketball in the past decade.

Best of luck to you, Coach Tang. We wish you all the success possible — except when you play the Bears, of course. Your time and work in Waco will always be appreciated and never forgotten.