18 March 2023
GREENSBORO, N.C. (KSNT)- Jerome Tang has transformed Kansas State basketball in his first year as the Wildcats head coach.
However, K-State president Richard Linton says Tang’s impact on the university goes beyond the court.
“Take aside the basketball coaching, Coach Tang has transformed our university,” Linton said. “He has made K-State a better place to be, and that’s what I’m most thankful for.”
That impact, Linton says, begins with his ability to build relationships.
“He brings people together,” Linton said. “He makes sure that we are ‘one K-State’ and that everyone is working towards the same common goal. He’s brought the students together, the faculty and the staff. He’s got a way of just being a magnet and wanting to be drawn right next to him.”
It’s personal.
“He’s an amazing person,” Linton said. “He’s a K-Stater.”
When evaluating Tang’s impact and influence beyond the basketball court, look no further than the vulgar chant aimed at in-state rival KU. Tang asked the student section to change, and they responded.
“Nobody else was able to do that,” Linton said. “Whether it’s Coach Snyder, whether it’s former presidents of the university, this president of the university, the athletic director… somehow Coach Tang did it in just a couple of weeks. That’s the magic of Tang.”
K-State is a three seed in the NCAA tournament. It’s the Wildcats first time in the big dance since 2019.