Jerome Tang

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Jerome Tang

| image = Jerome Tang.jpg

| caption = Tang in 2022

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = Kansas State

| current_conference = Big 12

| current_record = {{winpct|61|40|record=y}}

| contract = $3.0 million

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|10|7}}

| birth_place = San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = Charter Oak State ('07)

| coach_years1 = 1993–2003

| coach_team1 = {{nowrap|Heritage Christian Academy (TX)}}

| coach_years2 = 2003–2017

| coach_team2 = Baylor (assistant)

| coach_years3 = 2017–2022

| coach_team3 = Baylor (associate HC)

| coach_years4 = 2022–present

| coach_team4 = Kansas State

| overall_record = {{winpct|61|41|record=y}}

| tournament_record = 3–1 (NCAA Division I)
0–1 (NIT)

| championships = As assistant:
NCAA Division I Tournament (2021)

| awards = Naismith College Coach of the Year (2023)
Big 12 Coach of the Year (2023)

AP Big 12 Coach of the Year (2023)
USBWA District VI Coach of the Year (2023)
NABC District 8 Coach of the Year (2023)

| coaching_records =

| medaltemplates =

}}

Jerome Tang (born October 7, 1966){{cite web |title=K-State Announces Jerome Tang as Men's Basketball Coach |url=https://www.kstatesports.com/news/2022/3/21/mens-basketball-k-state-announces-jerome-tang-as-mens-basketball-coach.aspx |website=Kansas State Wildcats |access-date=March 23, 2022 |date=March 21, 2022}} is a Trinidadian-American college basketball coach who is the head coach for the Wildcats of Kansas State University. He had previously been an assistant coach under Scott Drew from 2003 to 2022 at Baylor, where the Bears won the 2021 NCAA Championship.

Early life

Tang was born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. He moved with his parents to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, living there until age 10 when his family relocated to Texas. Tang first attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and then studied at home via online learning with Charter Oak State College over the Internet, and earned a bachelor's degree in 2007.{{cite news|first=Arne|last=Green|title=Jerome Tang's unconventional journey to become Kansas State's head basketball coach|date=27 March 2022|work=Topeka Capital-Journal|publisher=|location=Topeka, Kansas|url=https://www.cjonline.com/story/sports/college/cat-zone/2022/03/27/ncaa-basketball-kansas-state-coach-jerome-tang-coaching-path-baylor/7165152001/|accessdate=28 March 2022|archiveurl=|archivedate=|language=en}}

Coaching career

=High school and assistant=

Between 1993 and 2003, Tang served as head coach of Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas, turning the team into a strong contender. While at Heritage Christian, he coached future NBA player Von Wafer. Tang was hired as an assistant coach at Baylor in 2003 under first-year coach Scott Drew. In 2017, Tang was promoted to associate head coach, and he helped lead Baylor to a national championship in 2021.

=Kansas State=

On March 21, 2022, Tang was named head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats, replacing the retiring Bruce Weber.{{cite news |last1=Boone |first1=Kyle |title=Kansas State hires Jerome Tang: Longtime Baylor assistant coach familiar with Big 12 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/kansas-state-hires-jerome-tang-longtime-baylor-assistant-coach-familiar-with-big-12/ |access-date=March 23, 2022 |work=CBS Sports |date=March 21, 2022}} Tang agreed to a six-year deal worth $14.1 million with the Wildcats.{{cite news |last1=Campbell |first1=Marleah |title=It's official: K-State names Jerome Tang new men's basketball coach |url=https://www.wibw.com/2022/03/21/its-official-k-state-names-jerome-tang-new-mens-basketball-coach/ |access-date=March 24, 2022 |work=WIBW |date=March 21, 2022}}

Personal life

Tang is married with a son and a daughter. He is a Christian.{{cite web |last1=Mercer |first1=Kevin |title=Jerome Tang follows God's lead as he becomes Kansas State men's basketball coach |url=https://sportsspectrum.com/sport/basketball/2022/03/23/jerome-tang-kansas-state-basketball-coach-god/ |website=Sports Spectrum |date=23 March 2022 |access-date=25 March 2022}} His father is half African and half Chinese and his mother is Indian (of South-Asian descent).