Top candidates starting to emerge in Kansas State Wildcats’ basketball coaching search

It didn’t take long for a few candidates to emerge as front-runners in Kansas State’s search for a new men’s basketball coach.

K-State athletics director Gene Taylor has started talking informally to coaches from all across the country and he is expected to narrow his focus with in-person interviews in the coming days, according to sources with knowledge of the hiring process.

Expect Jerome Tang to get serious consideration moving forward. A source said there is strong mutual interest between K-State and Baylor’s associate head coach, who has been by Scott Drew’s side for the past 19 seasons and has helped turn the Bears into a juggernaut.

Though he has never before been a head coach at the college level, Tang is thought to be the most coveted assistant of this hiring cycle. He has been linked to other openings in the past, but he’s never felt compelled to leave Baylor. Perhaps that changes later this month. His familiarity with K-State and the Big 12 would make him a compelling choice.

College basketball reporter Jeff Goodman also reported on Monday that New Mexico State coach Chris Jans and San Francisco coach Todd Golden are in the mix.

Jans has connections to the Sunflower State as a former Wichita State assistant. He has guided the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament three times in the past five seasons, including this year as a No. 12 seed. But he does come with some baggage, as he was dismissed for inappropriate conduct while coaching at Bowling Green in 2015.

Few, if any, had mentioned Golden as a potential candidate before Monday. He was likely recommended to K-State by the search firm that is assisting with the hire. Golden, 33, has begun to make a name for himself in coaching circles now that he has the Dons heading to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed.

Colorado State coach no longer involved

One name K-State fans can cross off their wish list is Niko Medved. He signed a contract extension with Colorado State on Sunday that raised his annual salary above $1 million and runs through 2029 after guiding the Rams to a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

It is also unlikely that Taylor will interview any young assistants for this position. Sources said he would prefer to hire a sitting coach or a veteran associate head coach, such as Tang. That would seem to be bad news for candidates such as Florida assistant Erik Pastrana and Oklahoma assistant KT Turner.

There hasn’t been much buzz about North Texas coach Grant McCasland or Drake coach Darian DeVries for any job since they were first mentioned as candidates last week. It is unclear if K-State is interested in them.

What about Brad Underwood?

One coach that K-State is most definitely interested in — Brad Underwood. He is the dream candidate for most fans.

Unfortunately, much less is known about his willingness to leave Illinois for his alma mater after signing a contract extension worth $16.7 million in guaranteed money last September.

There is a quiet confidence among K-State donors that they can afford to pay Underwood’s buyout, which was listed at $7 million before his recent extension, but it would be a challenge for the athletic department to match the $4.1 million he currently earns in yearly compensation and continue to pay him top dollar year after year in Manhattan.

The Wildcats aren’t the type of athletic department that you would expect to pay their men’s basketball coach more than their football coach. Chris Klieman is currently making $3.5 million.

Weber’s starting salary was $1.5 million in 2012 and increased to $2.8 million this past season.

Underwood is one of the 10 highest paid coaches in the country and will earn $4.5 million by the end of his current deal. He may simply be out of K-State’s price range.

“I wish we could spend as much (as we want), but no we can’t,” Taylor said last week when asked about possible financial limitations of hiring a new coach. “But I think we need to be competitive. As you know, our salaries are typically not at the highest of the Big 12. But if we want to get the best candidate we need to put a package together that can attract the best candidate.

“There may be candidates out there that we don’t have to pay top dollar and we can grow into that depending on the success they have. We are going to be within reason and within our budget but also be extremely well positioned to be competitive from a salary perspective.”

It is also unclear if Underwood is willing to leave Illinois, where he has just won back-to-back Big Ten championships, for a place that is coming off three straight losing seasons like K-State.

It’s reasonable to assume K-State has used back channels to express interest in Underwood, or at least his agent. But he is not currently in a position to speak directly with another school, as Illinois is a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Taylor previously said he wants to move fast with this hire. If Illinois advances to the Sweet 16 or beyond, that could be problematic for his chances.

Still, Underwood left the door open for anything when he was asked about the Wildcats on Sunday.

“I love Illinois,” he said. “We’ve got the best fans, I’ve got a great boss, we’ve got a top 10 program and we’re winning Big Ten championships. I’m very singular, as you guys know. I can’t control what people say and what people think. I’m not worried about that.”