Kansas State became the first major college basketball program to make a head coaching change this season, firing Jerome Tang on Sunday night.

A longtime Baylor assistant under Scott Drew, Tang guided the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in his first season in Manhattan but missed the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons. With Kansas State just 1-11 in Big 12 play this season, the school decided not to wait until the end of the season to make a change.

As it turns out, performance on the court isn’t the only reason Tang was fired.

Here’s what you need to know about Kansas State’s decision to fire Tang for cause and what it means for his buyout.

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Why did Kansas State fire Jerome Tang?

While Kansas State’s downward trend was certainly a factor in the school’s decision to fire Tang — the Wildcats are just 1-11 in Big 12 play this season and are headed toward a second consecutive losing season overall — the Wildcats are reportedly firing him for cause.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports Kansas State seeks to fire Tang for cause due to “language in his contract that references any activity that brings ‘public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule'” to Kansas State.

Days before his firing, Tang made headlines when he said his players “do not deserve to wear this uniform.” 

“There will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, and our student section,” Tang said. “It’s just ridiculous.”

On Saturday, Kansas State’s jerseys did not feature any players’ names on the back. The Wildcats lost on the road against No. 3 Houston.

In Kansas State’s estimation, those comments and actions were part of the school’s decision. “Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards,” athletic director Gene Taylor said.

Kansas State AD Gene Taylor has released a statement. pic.twitter.com/2VSmeuVTA7

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) February 16, 2026

Taylor didn’t say whether Kansas State is attempting to fire Tang for cause, but multiple reports confirmed that is the intent, with CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reporting a “major legal battle” is likely to come next unless the two sides can agree to a settlement.

Here’s what it means to fire a coach “for cause.”

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What does ‘fired for cause’ mean?

By firing a coach for cause, a program asserts that the outgoing coach breached his contract and therefore is not owed any money his contract says he is owed. If Kansas State and Tang don’t agree to a settlement and the school can prove he should be fired for cause, Tang would not receive his buyout.

Firing a coach for performance reasons is not enough for a school to claim it is firing for cause. A breach of contract is typically related to behavior, and Kansas State appears to consider Tang’s comments from earlier in the week as a breach of contract due to language in the deal regarding activity that brings “public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule” to the program, Thamel reports.

Tang has the right to fight the decision and try to receive his full buyout, but winning a legal battle would not mean he could return as Kansas State’s head coach.

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Jerome Tang buyout

Tang’s buyout is reportedly $18.675 million. Because his buyout would have only dropped by about $3 million next season, it wouldn’t have made much sense for Kansas State to hold off on a change.

With that being said, Kansas State firing Tang for cause means the school intends to get out of paying him his entire buyout. If the two sides don’t agree to a settlement, Tang can and certainly will fight to receive his full buyout.

Jerome Tang coaching record

Tang won 26 games and took Kansas State to the Elite Eight in his first season as a head coach, but the Wildcats have been on a downward trajectory ever since.

Kansas State missed the NCAA Tournament in Tang’s second season, suffered a losing season in year three and currently sits just 1-11 in Big 12 play, needing a miraculous Big 12 Tournament run to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for third consecutive season.