Less than 24 hours ago, Kansas State announced it was firing Jerome Tang for cause. But what initially felt like an ugly ending to a struggling season has quickly escalated into something far bigger. Coach Tang’s firing was framed as a disciplinary termination tied to “embarrassment”; however, the school’s decision won’t go unchallenged.

According to ESPN college basketball insider Pete Thamel, Tang has retained prominent sports attorney Tom Mars, along with Bennett Speyer, as he gears up for a legal battle over Kansas State’s attempt to void his buyout. And so far, one thing has been made clear: Mars plans to play aggressively.

“If K-State’s President and AD really think the school was embarrassed by recent events, that’s nothing compared to the embarrassment that both of them are about to experience,” Mars told Thamel.

On Sunday night, the University revealed that it has dismissed Jerome Tang, citing contractual language that allows termination for conduct bringing “public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule” to it. But if you are wondering what led to his firing, according to athletic director Gene Taylor, it was his postgame comments after the Wildcats lost to Cincinnati.

After the Wildcats recorded their 14th loss of the 2025-26 NCAA season, the coach claimed his players “do not deserve to wear this uniform” and added that he is “embarrassed for the university.”

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Furthermore, in a separate statement to the On3 national reporter Pete Nakos, Mars added that Tang’s legal team would “give K-State’s President and AD a few days to regain their senses before we pull the trigger.”

Kansas State didn’t just fire coach Tang; they cited cause, and that distinction changes everything.

If a coach is simply dismissed for poor performance, bad record, missed tournaments, disappointing seasons, etc., the school still has to honor the buyout written into the contract. Which, in Tang’s case, is reportedly $18.675 million.

But by labeling the termination “for cause,” Kansas State is arguing that Tang violated his contract. So if they can prove that claim holds up, they wouldn’t owe him the buyout. That’s why coach Jerome Tang is going on a legal path.

If he wins, he gets paid. If Kansas State wins, they walk away without cutting that check.

How Jerome Tang’s season spiraled into a legal showdown

Though Tang’s tenure at Kansas State began with promise, after he led the Wildcats to an Elite Eight appearance in his first season, the program has gone nothing but downhill from there.

The Wildcats missed two back-to-back NCAA tournaments. And if that wasn’t enough, the Wildcats are sitting at 10-15 at the time of Tang’s dismissal.

Still, the final breaking point for this program was what happened after his rant. Even after his post-game comments got national attention, coach Jerome Tang doubled down by removing players’ names from their uniforms in their last game against the No. 3-ranked Houston Cougars. And even though the Wildcats players, Abdi Bashir Jr. and Nate Johnson, expressed their support for Tang’s decision, the University decided it was enough.

So when asked about Tang’s plan to fight the characterization, Taylor said, “I don’t know. I’m not an attorney, so I guess at this point, it lands in their hands, and we’ll see where it goes.”

For now, the Wildcats are still scheduled to play the Baylor Bears in their next game on February 17th, as the university has begun its process of finding an interim coach for the remainder of the season while continuing its search for a permanent head coach.

In the end, what started as a disappointing season in Manhattan has now turned into a high-stakes legal fight, one that could cost nearly $19 million. But what will be the outcome of this battle? Only time will tell.