There’s madness on the courts and some maneuvering on the sidelines.
The offseason coaching cycle has officially begun with the first notable hire being made by Kansas State, which has ired Belmont’s Casey Alexander, the school announced Friday.
The Wildcats moved on from Jerome Tang earlier this season, and Alexander signed a five-year, $17 million contract.
“I’m incredibly excited to join the team at K-State and can’t wait to get the journey started,” Alexander said in the school’s release. “K-State has such a rich tradition and a wildly passionate fan base…”
While college basketball fans are waiting for the bracket reveal Sunday, those teams who won’t be playing for the national title can start making plans for their future.
Kansa State fired Tang after 25 games this year, citing “recent public comments and conduct” as part of the reason for its decision.
He went 73-57 in three-plus seasons with the team, never replicating his first-year success in the 2022-23 season when he led the team to the Elite Eight.
Tang followed with 19-15, 16-17 and 10-15 records before Kansas State moved on.
The Wildcats opted to hire a fast-rising mid-major coach in Alexander, who won three regular season titles, including this year, and one conference tournament championship with the school.
The Bruins, however, lost this year to the No. 9 seed Drake, 100-79, in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals in a stunner to end their chances of an NCAA berth.
Alexander tallied at least 20 win in each of his seven seasons, including this year’s 26-6 mark, and he posted a 166-60 mark at the school.
He coached at Stetson for two seasons (2011-13) and Lipscomb for six (2013-19) before landing with Belmont.
“We had significant interest in our job from numerous talented and successful coaches from around the country,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said in the school’s release.
“What was evident throughout the search was the positive reputation of K-State basketball, and of the coaches we talked with Casey emerged as the one who best fit our program. He is known nationally as a tremendous evaluator of talent and one of the best offensive minds in the college game.”
