The topic of Jerome Tang and Kansas State aired on ESPN's SportsCenter Monday afternoon, drawing some colorful commentary from analyst Seth Greenberg on how the situation was handled by the athletics department.
The only thing Jerome Tang did wrong was is not win enough games. Trying to fire him with a cause is embarrassing. Honor the contract and move on. @KStateMBB @Big12Conference pic.twitter.com/h7v3UyDZ6L
— Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) February 16, 2026
Greenberg takes aim at Athletic Director Gene Taylor for the decision
Greenberg took aim at Athletic Director Gene Taylor, calling the move to fire Tang for cause “embarrassing.”
“That athletic director is embarrassing for what he’s trying to do,” Greenberg said on air. “What did he actually say right there? He said we’re going to hold our players to our standard, [and] the way they played was unacceptable.”
Greenberg continued, saying that the university should honor the contract and move on with finding a new head coach.
“You know what, K-State, you made a bad decision... [if] they’re not winning enough games, just say ‘he’s not winning enough games, we need to make a change.’”
Greenberg is referring to the press conference held Sunday night in which Taylor said his comments about the student-athletes not deserving to wear the school’s uniform was concerning.
"Trying to dispute, and create some type of narrative that he didn’t fulfill his contract, that is absolutely embarrassing to K-State, the athletic department, [and] the administration.
Players weigh in on Tang’s comments after road loss to Houston
Following Saturday’s game against Houston, Abdi Bashir Jr. also addressed the comments made by Tang, saying that it was the right message. In that game, no last names were displayed on the back of the Wildcats’ jerseys.
“I thought it was the right message, [and] I don’t think coach Tang said anything wrong,” Bashir said Saturday night. “Nobody took [any] hard feelings toward it.”
That statement falls right in line with Greenberg’s comments. If true, the question becomes less about Tang, and more about the players’ efforts and accountability both in practice and on the court.
Tang’s 1-11 record at K-State among the lowest in the conference
The Wildcats opened conference play 0-5 for the first time since the 1996-97 season, a mark that at the time didn’t seem like it could get any worse.
Since then, the team fell to 1-11 and tied Utah for last place in the conference. According to Greenberg, that’s all Tang did wrong. He just couldn’t win.
It could also play a role in the outcome if Tang follows through with his statement, addressing his intent to fight the termination and battle the decision in court.
“The only thing he did wrong in the last two years… he didn’t win enough games,” Greenberg said. “He’s real, he’s genuine, and that is an embarrassment to the university.
More Kansas State News
BookmarkJug of Snyderand follow us on X with the username@JugofSnyderand Facebook@ksujugofsnyder.