The college basketball program at Kansas State has been on a steady decline since the first year with Jerome Tang as head coach. Fans want him fired but a massive contractual buyout stands in the way.
The Wildcats are stuck.
Tang’s team is likely going to miss out on the NCAA Tournament for the third college basketball season in a row. He is still going to survive… probably.
Kansas State basketball fans showed up with bags on their heads.
Bramlage Coliseum holds a maximum capacity of 11,000. The school announced an attendance of 7,274 on Wednesday night but that seemed to be an exaggeration.
The Octagon of Doom was more like the Octagon of Room.
Octagon of Room tonight pic.twitter.com/VQUspqIGTi
— Wyatt Wheeler (@WyattWheeler_) February 12, 2026
To make matters worse, those who did attend the game were there largely in protest. A group of students swung by the local grocery store to pick up paper bags that were then placed on their heads.
Some Kansas State fans are wearing bags on their heads tonight. pic.twitter.com/RSUeCFbDKA
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 12, 2026
The amount of paper bags only continued to increase after the game got underway. Messages written on the bags called for Jerome Tang to be fired.
The Wildcats went on to lose their fifth-straight game and 10th of their last 11. And they got blown out.
Cincinnati defeated Kansas State by a final score of 91-62.
Jerome Tang probably won’t be fired.
Tang was hired in 2022. He led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament as a three-seed in his first season at the helm.
That success was never replicated.
Kansas State missed out on March Madness at 19-15 in year two and again at 16-17 in year three. Barring an unforeseen run at the Big 12 Tournament, it will not go dancing again in year four.
The Wildcats currently sit at 10-14.
Jerome Tang is not happy with the product on the court. He went scorched earth on his own players after the loss on Thursday. They don’t deserve to wear the uniform. He would also wear a bag on his head if he was a fan because of how bad his team has played.
Jerome Tang spoke for just over 2 minutes following K-State’s 29-point loss to Cincinnati. The Wildcats have lost their last 2 home games by a combined 63 points.
— Jason Kinander (@WIBWJason) February 12, 2026
Here’s his entire press conference. (via K-State Athletics) pic.twitter.com/AFUForuDRm
His press conference on Wednesday night directly contradicts what he said 10 days prior:
“I don’t feel like I need to give an explanation to our fans right now… I am proud of the young men that I brought in.”
Quite the change in tone! What changed?
Fans want Tang fired but his buyout costs more than $18 million so that seems unlikely. In which case, the head coach has turned his attention toward the players. Blame them! Not him!