MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State formally introduced new head coach Jerome Tang to the public during a press conference on Thursday (March 24) in the Shamrock Zone on the north concourse of Bramlage Coliseum.
Tang, 55, was hired as the school's 25th head men's basketball coach on Monday afternoon (March 21) after serving as one of the architects in helping Baylor into a national powerhouse in his 19 seasons (2003-22) as an assistant and associate head coach. He played an instrumental role in building the Bears program from one rocked by scandal and NCAA probation into one that has developed into one of the nation's top programs highlighted by the 2021 NCAA Championship and consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles in 2021 and 2022. He served his first 14 seasons (2003-17) on staff as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach in 2017.
Tang was joined at Thursday's introductory press conference by K-State President Dr. Richard Linton and Director of Athletics Gene Taylor as well as his family, which included his wife Careylyen (Rey), son Seven, daughter Aylyn, parents Paul and Bano Tang and in-loves Calvin and Carolyn Carter.
Tang agreed to a 6-year contract, which was approved by the K-State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors and President Linton. Tang will be paid $2.1 million in 2022-23 and will receive a $100,000 base salary increase each year remaining on the contract ($2.2 million in 2023-24, $2.3 million in 2024-25, $2.4 million in 2025-26, $2.5 million in 2026-27 and $2.6 million in 2027-28).
Tang will be the first Black men's head basketball coach in school history and just the fifth minority men's head coach in school history, following former baseball coach Dave Baker (1978-83), former football coach Ron Prince (2006-08), former men's basketball coach Frank Martin (2007-12) and current women's tennis coach Jordan Smith (2018-present).