Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor had no choice. He had to fire men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang. Not for cause, as he said in his statement on Sunday night. But because the team had simply fallen off a cliff.
Tang had perhaps one of the greatest first years of any college basketball coach, leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. But since, Kansas State has seen its win total decline each season. The Wildcats are off to their worst Big 12 start ever. Tang’s comments this past week have been somewhat bizarre. Not “for cause” bizarre, but bizarre nonetheless (who puts injured players in charge of his team’s scout?).
By firing Tang now, Taylor has time to prepare for the coaching carousel. Here are eight potential candidates to replace Jerome Tang at Kansas State. We’re talking realistic. Everyone will talk about Brad Underwood. He has a great job at Illinois. Bob Huggins coached at K-State for a year and enjoyed it there. But he’s not walking through that door. It’s unlikely the Wildcats can lure a high-major coach.
Josh Schertz, Head Coach, St. Louis
Schertz will likely be the top target of every high major program with an opening. After taking over at Indiana State and making the Sycamores relevant again in three seasons, he took the job at Saint Louis and in his second year he has them pointed toward the NCAA Tournament. Given how good the Billikens are, whichever program hires him may have to wait until late March to pull the trigger.
Travis Steele, Head Coach, Miami (OH)
The RedHawks are the last undefeated team standing in Division I college basketball, thanks to Steele, who is in his fourth season. He succeeded Chris Mack at Xavier but was only able to get the Musketeers to the NIT twice. But he’s built a MAC power in Miami and has the program pointed to the NCAA Tournament. He may be ready for an opportunity to coach at the high major level again.
John Groce, Head Coach, Akron
Groce is Steele’s brother, which is only a fun fact and not relevant to a coaching search. What is relevant is that Groce is closing in on 400 career wins, has guided a high-major program at Illinois and has Ohio among the elite in the MAC. He’s taken the Bobcats to three NCAA Tournament in the last four seasons. He took Illinois to one NCAA Tournament and three NITs. Before that, he guided Ohio to two NCAA Tournaments in four years.
Eric Pastrana, Miami (Fla.) Assistant
Pastrana has Kansas State ties. He got his master’s degree there, he coached for Underwood at both Stephen F. Austin and at Kansas State and has been an assistant coach at several high major programs, including Oklahoma State. He had a hand in helping the Cowboys land No. 1 prospect Cade Cunningham, who became the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. He may finally be ready for his head coaching debut. The fact that Tang was a first-time head coach when he was hired could work against Pastrana.
Ben Jacobson, Head Coach, Northern Iowa
Jacobson has only coached in the Dakotas and at Northern Iowa, so he may be perfectly happy with the Panthers. But if there was a time for the 55-year-old to make the jump, it’s now. He’s won more than 350 games, take his team to four Missouri Valley Conference tournament titles nine postseason appearances. What might work against him is that he hasn’t taken the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament in a decade.
Jerron Calhoun, Head Coach, Utah State
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway may not like him. But Calhoun has been on a heater for four seasons — two at Youngstown State and two at Utah State. In four straight 20-win seasons he’s taken the Penguins to the NIT and the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament in 2025. He’s an Ohio native that went to college at Cincinnati. So, if the Bearcats part with Wes Miller, Calhoun could be on their speed dial, too.
Chris Mack, Head Coach, Charleston
Finding a head coach with solid high major experience is hard but Mack fits the bill. Before he landed at Charleston in 2024, he coached at Xavier for a decade and Louisville for four seasons. He took the Musketeers to the NCAA Tournament in all but one season, and the Cardinals went once before COVID derailed the 24-win Cardinals in 2020. He could be a find for whichever high major program wants to give him another chance.
Tayako Siddle, Head Coach, UNCW
Siddle is one of the fastest rising high major coaching candidates in the country. He’s won at least 20 games in each of the last four seasons and is poised to do so once again this season. His program won the CBI championship in 2022 and reached the NCAA Tournament last year. He’s a winner and has been his entire head coaching career. K-State would have to convince him to leave his native North Carolina.
