The Kansas State men’s basketball coaching search has a new front-runner, per multiple reports.
Belmont head coach Casey Alexander is the new focus of the search, per mutlipe reports, including SI’s Kevin Sweeney.
Per Robinett, the Wildcats were focused on Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun, but talks broke down over timing, per Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle. Alexander and the Wildcats are reportedly close to a deal.
If Alexander takes the job, he’ll replace Jerome Tang, who was fired in February as he failed to complete four seasons with the program. Matthew Driscoll served as the interim coach for the Wildcats, who were eliminated in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday by BYU.
About Casey Alexander
Alexander is a former Belmont player and long-time assistant coach who returned to his alma mater after a successful run at Lipscomb. Both schools are in Nashville. Before he was at Lipscomb he started his head-coaching career at Stetson in Deland, Fla.
As a coach, he’s won 20 or more game in each of the last 10 seasons. With Belmont this season he went 26-6 and helped it win the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title. The Bruins were eliminated in their conference tournament and won’t be playing in the NCAA Tournament. He has a career record of 303-180.
His best season as a coach was at Lipscomb in 2018-19 when he led the school to a 29-win season and a trip to the NIT championship game, where it lost to Texas when it was still a member of the Big 12. He led Lipscomb to the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
Tang was 71-57 in three-plus seasons leading Kansas State. His best season was his first, during which he and the Wildcats went 26-10 and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. After that, Kansas State saw its win total decline in each of the next three seasons under the former Baylor assistant coach. He was fired by athletic director Gene Taylor after a 10-15 start to this season.
The other opening in the Big 12 is at Arizona State, where athletic director Graham Rossini announced on Wednesday that Bobby Hurley would not have his contract renewed.
