Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang, who led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in his first season at the helm, has inked a new seven-year contract through the 2029-30 season, the school announced Monday.
Tang will pocket $3 million this season and receive a $100,000 increase each year until 2029-30, when he will earn $3.6 million.
“My family and I could not be more excited about the future with this commitment … as the staff and I continue to elevate this program to even greater heights,” Tang said in a statement. “I say it all the time and I truly mean it, we’re fortunate every day to be at such a special place.
“I said before I didn’t come here to rebuild but to elevate, and the work has already begun. Last year’s success was just the start. The staff and I are excited about what’s ahead for this team as we start practice.”
Kansas State was picked to finish in the basement in the Big 12 preseason poll last season, but Tang guided the Wildcats to a third-place finish. They opened the season red hot with 15 wins in their first 16 games, including back-to-back road victories over the Texas Longhorns and Baylor Bears in early January. Kansas State also knocked off the Kansas Jayhawks in overtime in mid-January.
The Wildcats entered the ‘Big Dance’, NCAA tournament with a 3-seed, knocking off Montana State, Kentucky and Michigan State before falling to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight.
“What Coach Tang and his staff did in their first year here was phenomenal,” athletic director Gene Taylor said. “The run to the Elite Eight was remarkable, but what separates Coach Tang is his pure love of his players and the relationships that he builds with everyone that he encounters. His ability to connect with players, staff, recruits, students and fans is special, and he is the perfect fit for Kansas State.”
Under the new deal, Tang would owe the school $6 million if he were to leave for another job after this season, and that number declines by $1 million each spring. If Kansas State were to terminate Tang’s contract without cause before April 30, 2025, it would owe him more than $15 million. That number drops by approximately $2.5 million each spring.
Kansas State opens the 2023-24 season against the USC Trojans in Las Vegas on November 6.
