Kansas State’s men’s basketball coach, Jerome Tang, has reason to celebrate as he secures his future with the Wildcats.
After an impressive debut season, where Tang led the team to the Elite Eight, he has inked a new seven-year contract that will keep him at the helm through the 2029-30 season. The announcement came from the school on Monday, bringing joy to fans and players alike.
Tang’s new contract comes with a significant boost in compensation. This season, he will earn $3 million, and his salary will increase by $100,000 each year until the final year of the contract, when he’ll be making $3.6 million. This substantial pay raise reflects both Tang’s outstanding coaching skills and the university’s commitment to keeping him in Manhattan. In a statement, Tang expressed his excitement about the future.
“My family and I could not be more excited about the future with this commitment,” says Coach Tang. “I say it all the time and I truly mean it, we’re fortunate every day to be at such a special place.”
Tang’s tenure at Kansas State has been nothing short of remarkable. In his debut season, he defied expectations when the Wildcats were predicted to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll. Instead, he led the team to a third-place finish, securing 15 wins in their first 16 games, including impressive victories over Texas and Baylor. Notably, they also defeated in-state rival Kansas in overtime.
The pinnacle of their success came in the NCAA tournament, where they entered as a 3-seed and advanced through several rounds, ultimately reaching the Elite Eight. His success earned Tang well-deserved recognition and praise from the Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor.
“What Coach Tang and his staff did in their first year here was phenomenal,” said Taylor. “The run to the Elite Eight was remarkable, but what separates Coach Tang is his pure love of his players and the relationships that he builds with everyone that he encounters.”
The new contract includes provisions for Tang’s future. If he were to get lured to another university after this season, that school would owe the K-State $6 million, a figure that decreases by $1 million each spring. Conversely, if K-State were to terminate Tang’s contract without cause before April 30, 2025, they would owe him over $15 million. This amount decreases by approximately $2.5 million each year after that.
The Wildcats’ 2023-24 season opens against USC in Las Vegas on November 6.
