Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang seemed to be the savior of Wildcats basketball in his first season. The first-year head coach took K-State to the Elite Eight, falling to nine-seeded FAU in what was a magical run for the Wildcats.
Since then, everything has gone downhill. Kansas State has yet to make the NCAA Tournament since 2023, and even struggled to be competitive during the regular season. While the Big 12 is one of the most, if not the most, competitive conferences in college basketball, Kansas State just hasn't found solid success since Tang's first season.
It seems like fans are at their breaking point, though this season, as Kansas State is in the midst of yet another losing streak this season, this one now reaching five games. The latest loss came to the tune of 29 points to Cincinnati, and fans were very unhappy, even wearing paper bags over their heads with a message to the school.
The Kansas State student section spent $3 at Aldi for 30 paper bags to plead on national television for someone to pony up $18.675 million to buy out Jerome Tang.
— Wyatt Wheeler (@WyattWheeler_) February 12, 2026
I talked to one of the students.https://t.co/MLwQ9rfWqU
The call for Tang's job is getting louder and louder, but athletic director Gene Taylor put the Wildcats in a tough position with a large buyout that might be just too much to pay.
Jerome Tang's buyout will make history Kansas State wants no part of
Kansas State most likely won't make any changes until the end of the season, but even the end won't fix the potential $18.675 million problem Taylor and the University would have on their hands if they fire Tang.
That buyout is the 12th largest in all of college basketball, and it would set the record for the largest buyout in sports history if the Wildcats choose to make the change. That is not the history Kansas State wants to be a part of, but things are looking so bleak right now, it might be the only option.
Kansas State could choose to hold onto Tang for another season to lower the amount, but they would still be paying a record-breaking $15.75 million after the 2026-2027 season. Taylor pulled the trigger too early after Tang's first season by giving him an enormous extension that the Wildcats are now going to have to pay for.
After his second season with the Wildcats, a season that ended in a 19-15 narrow miss of the NCAA Tournament, Taylor reworked Tang's contract again in order to keep Arkansas at bay. This increased Tang's annual pay and, in turn, gave him more guaranteed money. Here is a breakdown of what Tang's buyout would be over the years.
- Before April 30, 2026: $18.675 million
- After 2026-2027 season: $15.75 million
- After 2027-2028 season: $12.75 million
- After 2028-2029 season: $9.675 million
- After 2029-2030 season: $6.525 million
- Between May 2030 and April 2031: $4.4 million or remaining unpaid salary
The future looks expensive at Kansas State because even if the Wildcats choose to eat the buyout, they then have to go find another coach to pay, and that won't come cheap either. Kansas State has a big decision to make at the end of the season, and if something doesn't turn around fast, they will have the fans on their backs as well.