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How Kenny Payne’s Season Compares With Other First-Year Coaches

By Peyton Powell

LOUISVILLE, KY - JANUARY 03: Head coach Kenny Payne of the Louisville Cardinals is seen during the game against against the Syracuse Orange at KFC YUM! Center on January 3, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - JANUARY 03: Head coach Kenny Payne of the Louisville Cardinals is seen during the game against against the Syracuse Orange at KFC YUM! Center on January 3, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Jerome Tang (Kansas State)

Kansas State Head Coach Bruce Weber resigned in March 2022, following a lackluster season in which the Wildcats finished 14-17 overall and in second-to-last place in the Big 12 standings. Kansas State chose to hire Jerome Tang, a long-time assistant coach at Baylor, to help rejuvenate the program, and Tang has done exactly that.

Jerome Tang is having arguably the best and most impressive season among all first-year head coaches in college basketball. He had incredible success in the transfer portal, landing two talented junior college transfers and former SEC Preseason Player of the Year Keyontae Johnson.

Kansas State is 22-7 overall and 10-6 in Big 12 play, and they have already earned key victories against Kansas, Baylor (twice), Texas, and Iowa State. The Wildcats were also awarded the No. 12 overall seed in the NCAA’s Top 16 reveal on February 18th.

Despite competing in the toughest conference in college basketball this year, Tang has managed to find success in his first season with the team and has completely turned the Kansas State men’s basketball program around after three straight seasons of finishing last or second to last in the Big 12 standings.

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