Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang won the 2023 Naismith men’s College Coach of the Year award, it was announced Sunday.
Tang, in his first season with the Wildcats and as a head coach in college basketball, helped lead the Wildcats to the Elite Eight for the fourth time in program history. In their NCAA tournament run, Kansas State beat Montana State, Kentucky and Michigan State before losing to FAU in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats finished the season 26–10.
“I’m honored and blessed to be named the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's Coach of the Year,” Tang said in a press release. “There have been a lot of great coaching jobs this season, and to be recognized among them is truly a humbling experience for me.”
𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝐵𝐸𝒮𝒯 𝒞𝒪𝒜𝒞𝐻 𝐼𝒩 𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝒞𝒪𝒰𝒩𝒯𝑅𝒴
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) April 2, 2023
Jerome Tang is the 2023 @wernerladderco Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year 🏆 pic.twitter.com/o3hXrgBj68
Tang went viral multiple times during the NCAA tournament, most recently when Kansas State lost to the Owls. His post-game speech to the team warmed the hearts of college hoops fans everywhere, and he even visited FAU’s locker room after the game to congratulate them.
As of now, Tang is on a six-year deal with Kansas State signed last March when he was hired.
