Kansas State associate head coach Matthew Driscoll has been named interim coach after the university fired head coach Jerome Tang on Sunday.
Driscoll will lead the Wildcats (10-15, 1-11 Big 12) when they host Baylor (13-12, 3-9) Tuesday in a Big 12 game in Manhattan, Kan.
Driscoll served as head coach at the University of North Florida for 16 seasons, achieving the most wins in school history with 248 and the most victories in Atlantic Sun Conference history with 144.
He won three regular-season titles (2014-15, 2015-16, 2019-20) and also won the conference tournament in 2015.
Driscoll has 37 years of coaching experience between Division I, Division II, junior college and high school.
“A national search for K-State’s next basketball coach will begin immediately,” the school said on its website.
The Wildcats are on a six-game losing streak and are 1-11 in Big 12 play.
Tang led the Wildcats to a No. 3 seed and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament in his first season in 2022.
He compiled a 71-57 record at Kansas State, but the Wildcats have posted three straight sub-.500 Big 12 records since his fast start.
Tang’s comments after Wednesday’s 91-62 loss to Cincinnati in front of a half-filled home arena started him on the path to being fired.
“These dudes do not deserve to wear the uniform,” Tang said. “There will be very few of them in it next year.”
Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said Tang’s comments violated his contract, which means the university might not have to pay Tang the remaining $18 million they owe him.
Tang released a statement that he vows to fight that decision.
The Wildcats are led by guard P.J. Haggerty, who is third in the nation with 23.3 points per game, but second-leading scorer Abdi Bashir Jr. (13.2 ppg) has missed seven straight games with a stress fracture in his foot.
The Bears’ three-game losing streak seems minor compared to the problem the Wildcats are dealing with.
Baylor is coming off an 82-71 conference loss to No. 24 Louisville on Saturday.
“I’ve enjoyed coaching this team because they care,” coach Scott Drew said. “They have a high care factor. They care about Baylor, they care about Waco and they want to represent the right way.”
The Bears are led by Cameron Carr with 19.2 points per game and Tounde Yessoufou, who is scoring 18.4 per game.
–Field Level Media
