Report: Jerome Tang return to Baylor coaching staff with Scott Drew 'gaining steam' after Kansas State firing

Jerome Tang could find his way back onto the Baylor coaching staff, per Baylor insider and Fox Sports columnist Matt Mosley. Tang was fired by Kansas State this season.

Tang coached at Baylor from 2003 until 2022 under Scott Drew. Due to his relationship with Drew, as well as associate head coach Ron Sanchez, the fit with the Bears makes sense, per Mosley.

“Jerome Tang to Baylor is gaining steam,” Mosley said. “Heard it from an extremely reliable source yesterday. I of course, set up, you know, put out all my traps and asking and talking and all that kind of stuff. Now here’s what I can tell you, it is because of the unbelievable friendship that he and Scott have. You could know you could have known that this would be an option for Jerome. You’d be crazy not to think that. 

“Jerome is still embroiled in his, I’m sure his attorneys, he’s got to get this thing figured out with Kansas State … They weren’t doing right by him. They were trying to fire him because, I mean, I guess, comments that he had like at a news conference. The bottom line is, it’s just totally them being cheap and not doing not handling this in the right way. Now, I’m sure there’s a way to get this all settled out, but what they need to do is pay the man his money.”

Kansas State formally parted ways with Tang in February, attempting to do so for cause to avoid paying a reported $18 million buyout, per On3’s Pete Nakos. The Manhattan Mercury reported Tang’s actions were viewed as a violation of his terms of employment.

The two sides were initially engaged in discussions regarding the terms of Tang’s buyout, per Nakos. But those conversations appear to have broken down. As far as Tang’s comments that were referred to by Mosley, you can view them below. He called out his team due to poor play.

“This was embarrassing. These dudes did not deserve to wear this uniform,” Tang said. “There will be very few in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section. We have practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. We will get this thing right. I have no answers and no words.”

Tang went 71-57 in his time with Kansas State, which began in 2022-23. He led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight in his first year, but the squad did not return to the NCAA Tournament for the rest of his tenure.