Kansas State got an early jump on the coaching carousel by firing Jerome Tang. Somebody new will be in charge in just a few weeks. Athletic director Gene Taylor is the one leading the search for Kansas State, appearing to have a few interesting options at his disposal.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello laid some of those out recently. Borzello named five potential candidates for the Wildcats. Four of those are active head coaches, one of whom comes from a power conference program. The other is currently an assistant coach, who, weirdly enough, already has a future job lined up. But Borzello does not think that will stop Kansas State from trying.
It’s still early in the search, but names such as Utah State‘s Jerrod Calhoun, Belmont‘s Casey Alexander, Northern Iowa‘s Ben Jacobson and Creighton associate head coach — and Bluejays coach-in-waiting — Alan Huss are already sprouting up,” Borzello said. “Could Taylor also look to get a sitting high-major head coach, someone like Mississippi State‘s Chris Jans?”
Of course, the most interesting name to be mentioned there is Jans. Mississippi State is struggling this season, but Jans has found success in Starkville. All three years have brought NCAA Tournament appearances. The Bulldogs are still looking for a win once in the dance, but making three straight had not happened since the early 2000s.
Jans also won at New Mexico State, bringing home four regular season WAC championships, three tournament ones, and four NCAA Tournament bids. New Mexico State even pulled off a classic 12-over-five upset in 2022, beating UConn. Results have been provided by Jans at both the mid-major level and in the SEC.
No matter who Kansas State winds up hiring, a little more consistency will be wanted. Tang took the program to an Elite Eight in his first season, its third of the century. Almost nothing else went right for Tang, though, being under .500 in his final three years in charge. Taylor saw enough to make a mid-season move.
For now, the focus is on closing out this regular season. Kansas State has four games remaining on the schedule, beginning Wednesday in Boulder against Colorado. A trip to Lawrence to face bitter in-state rival Kansas will be the finale. And at least one game will take place in Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament.
