Kansas State Tries to Use Rant to Avoid Paying Coach $18M Buyout

Kansas State is attempting a novel claim over its firing of men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang: His rant about his own players was enough to fire him for cause. That would let the school off the hook for the $18.7 million it would otherwise owe him.

Tang, who was in the fourth season as Wildcats head coach, was fired after a postgame tirade following a 29-point loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday. Kansas State is 10–15 this season, and sits in last place in the Big 12 with a 1–11 conference record.

“This was embarrassing. These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform,” Tang said last week. “There will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university. I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student’s section. It is just ridiculous.”

Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said in a statement Sunday that Tang’s “comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university.”

Taylor said that the rant and national coverage of it “could potentially bring embarrassment.

“Basically, his comments about the student-athletes and the negative reaction to those comments from a lot of sources, both nationally and locally, is where I thought we needed to make the decision.”

According to multiple reports, Tang’s contract states that the University has the right to terminate his deal “for cause,” and the coach would not be entitled to “payment of any compensation, benefits, or damages.” Listed under reasons for a for-cause firing is “Objectionable Behavior, as determined in the sole reasonable judgment of the Athletics Director.” 

Tang’s lawyer told reporters this week that “of course” he plans to sue for the money he’s owed. “K-State’s President and AD really think the school was embarrassed by recent events, that’s nothing compared to the embarrassment that both of them are about to experience,” attorney Tom Mars told ESPN.

Schools and coaches occasionally battle over the for-cause designation as athletic departments try to avoid paying out guaranteed contracts. LSU fired Brian Kelly in October and “believed grounds for termination for cause existed,” according to court documents.

Kelly sued LSU for refusing to pay. A month later, LSU agreed to pay Kelly the full amount owed, estimated between $53 million and $54 million. 

Tang first joined Kansas State in 2022, then had his deal amended in 2024. His new contract ran through the 2030–31 season, and he had the opportunity to earn $28 million plus bonuses, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

The new contract’s buyout terms also entitled him to $18.7 million if he was let go by the Wildcats before April 30, 2026.