Kansas State Fires Jerome Tang, Alleges For Cause

After witnessing the termination of multiple college football coaches — and the for cause vs. without cause drama that came with it — we are now seeing a similar scenario play out on the hardwood.

Jerome Tang, former head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats Men’s Basketball team, was fired on February 15. The circumstances surrounding his termination remain disputed, which fuels the argument on whether Tang’s dismissal was “for cause” or without cause.

Why the distinction matters?

Tang has roughly $19M remaining on his contract. And if Tang is fired “for cause,” the university will likely argue it does not owe Tang the remaining amount.

According to the athletic department, Tang was fired due to his conduct that brought embarrassment to the university. Specifically, Tang publicly criticized his players after a lopsided loss.

In what CBS described as a “viral rant,” Tang, talking about his players, expressed embarrassment and exclaimed, “[t]hese dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year.”

Since the firing, Tang and his attorney have pushed back against the athletic department’s initial comments. In a statement from Tang, the coach said he “always acted with integrity” and “faithfully fulfilled” his responsibility as head coach.