Former Belmont head coach Casey Alexander was announced as the next Kansas State men’s basketball head coach Friday morning, inking a deal worth an average of just over $3 million per year for the next five seasons.
Unfortunately for fans, it’s not just the new coach they have to worry about. It’s the lingering influence of what came before.
Casey Alexander’s path forward at Kansas State starts by moving past Jerome Tang
The 2025-26 season wasn’t one that many Wildcats fans want to remember. Now that the program is turning over a new leaf, the past needs to be left where it belongs – in the past.
Sources: Casey Alexander has signed a five-year deal to be the next head coach at Kansas State with an average annual salary of $3.4 million dollars. https://t.co/UclT1sotyp
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 13, 2026
Opening conference play 0-5 for the first time since the 1996-97 season, landing at 1-11 in mid-season in the Big 12, removing player names from the backs of jerseys, none of that matters. It’s about what’s to come, and there’s real potential.
Interim head coach Matthew Driscoll was not shy about praising former head coach Jerome Tang after stepping into the role, but for Alexander – that’s a death sentence. The program’s path forward both starts and stops with mention of Tang.
According to Driscoll, filling those shoes was "absolutely miserable.” Look beyond what Tang did, and the future is bright. Reminisce, and it’s game over.
Where things have the potential to go sideways for the former Bruin
No head coach is expected to be perfect in their first season, and that’s especially true in Manhattan, Kansas. Nobody expects Alexander to win them all in year one, though it’s easy to imagine what the ceiling could look like.
But he’s got a lot to overcome, especially taking over a program that's been near the bottom of the Big 12 over the last few seasons. Like Driscoll said, a lot of it has to do with putting your last name on the line.
It all starts with the transfer portal – who’s in, who’s out, and who could possibly transfer and compete in a power conference like the Big 12. That sort of transformation needs to follow the likes of Ben McCollum or Darren DeVries, not Tang.
Bring in the right players, avoid the late-game lapses and prove you can compete, and the job is there for as long as you want it.
Overcoming a roster rebuild poses a new challenge
Next season’s K-State roster probably won’t resemble this year’s – and that’s putting it lightly. Alexander isn’t just rebuilding a Big 12 roster; he’s doing it in his first season.
He hasn’t coached in this landscape before – not even as an assistant. All of his experience below the head coaching level came outside the Power Five, and his top achievements were in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Only time will tell if this move was the right one. For now, there’s no reason to start worrying about another buyout or imagining the next shakeup – hand over the reins and give the new guy a chance to show what he can do.
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