Kansas State Fires Basketball Coach After Dismal Season

Interim coach Matthew Driscoll struggled to turn the team around after taking over midseason.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 8:19am

The 2025-26 Kansas State basketball season was marked by poor on-court performance and contentious postgame press conferences, leading to the firing of head coach Jerome Tang. Interim coach Matthew Driscoll was unable to right the ship after taking over the team midseason.

Why it matters

Kansas State has historically been a strong basketball program, so the team's struggles this past season were seen as a major disappointment by fans and the university administration. The firing of the head coach signals a need for significant changes to get the program back on track.

The details

After a dismal start to the season, Kansas State fired head coach Jerome Tang. Tang had taken over the program in 2021 but was unable to turn things around, leading to his dismissal. Assistant coach Matthew Driscoll was named interim head coach but was also unable to improve the team's performance on the court. The Wildcats finished the season with a 10-22 record, missing the NCAA Tournament.

  • The 2025-26 Kansas State basketball season took place from November 2025 to March 2026.
  • Coach Jerome Tang was fired in February 2026 after the team's poor start to the season.
  • Matthew Driscoll took over as interim head coach in February 2026.

The players

Jerome Tang

The former head coach of the Kansas State basketball team who was fired midway through the 2025-26 season.

Matthew Driscoll

The assistant coach who was named interim head coach of the Kansas State basketball team after the firing of Jerome Tang.

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What they’re saying

“I told them that I'll never apologize to them for holding them to such high standards because I believe in them so much,”

— Jerome Tang, Former Head Coach

What’s next

The university is expected to conduct a nationwide search for a new permanent head coach to lead the Kansas State basketball program starting in the 2026-27 season.

The takeaway

The disappointing 2025-26 season for Kansas State basketball highlights the need for significant changes to the program in order to return to being a competitive team in the Big 12 Conference and nationally.