Why timing is now a key factor for Kansas State Wildcats in basketball coaching search
This is a tricky time of year to hire a men’s basketball coach.
March is one of the best months on the calendar for fans, because the NCAA Tournament provides them with unrivaled levels of hoops drama and excitement for three straight weeks. But it is a challenging event to navigate for athletic directors who have a job to fill.
Such is the case for Kansas State AD Gene Taylor, who has been busy speaking with agents and coaches behind the scenes since Bruce Weber stepped down on Thursday. His top candidates are all participating in March Madness later this week, which means most of them won’t be in a position to formally interview with the Wildcats until after their teams bow out of the event.
For that reason, you could say K-State’s coaching search is about to enter a holding pattern. When the next big development happens is likely up to one thing — timing.
Brad Underwood (Illinois) and Jerome Tang (Baylor) are both currently coaching teams with national championship aspirations. Chris Jans (New Mexico State) and Todd Golden (San Francisco) are hoping to pull off some early upsets. Other coaches that haven’t publicly been linked to the K-State search could become candidates with a March run.
The Wildcats must show some level of patience if they hope to hire anyone coaching this postseason. Even Darian DeVries (Drake) and Grant McCasland (North Texas) are coaching teams in the CBI and NIT, respectively.
It seems unlikely a hire could be made earlier than this weekend.
Underwood is a prime example. He currently tops K-State’s wish list. The Wildcats have used back channels to express interest in the former K-State player and assistant coach who grew up in nearby McPherson. But it is unclear how seriously he plans to consider a return home or if the Wildcats can match his salary demands. He is unlikely to decide until after Illinois is eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 4 seed Fighting Illini open the postseason against No. 13 seed Chattanooga at 5:50 p.m. Friday. A loss in that game or in the second round, against the winner of Houston/Alabama-Birmingham, would free Underwood to make a quick decision.
When he left Oklahoma State for Illinois five years ago, he announced his departure less than 24 hours after the Cowboys lost in the opening round. Things could happen at light speed, just not until Illinois is done playing.
An Illinois run to the Sweet 16 or beyond would force K-State to wait for his decision ... or move on to other candidates.
That is one reason why Tang is considered a hot name with the Wildcats. Even though No. 1 seed Baylor has a first-round game against No. 16 seed Norfolk State to worry about on Thursday, he may be free to interview with the Wildcats because he isn’t a sitting head coach.
Tang has been by Scott Drew’s side for 19 years in Waco, Texas, and if now is the time for him to take over his own program, no one expects the Bears to stand in his way. There is strong mutual interest between both parties, according to sources. It might be possible for K-State to strike a deal with Tang while his team is still playing in the NCAA Tournament. Not so much with the other candidates.
Taylor has said that he wants to move quickly and hire a new coach before the Final Four. Perhaps that timeline favors Tang, especially if the Wildcats want to stay ahead of other schools showing interest in him.
Recent associate head coaches that made the jump to head coaches found tremendous levels of success this season. Mark Adams (Texas Tech), Tommy Lloyd (Arizona) and Hubert Davis (North Carolina) all guided their teams to the NCAA Tournament this year. Duke is also going that route next season with Jon Scheyer.
A fast search could lead K-State to Tang. A slow search might lead the Wildcats to Underwood.
Plenty of other names are still on the board. For now, anything seems possible. Timing may dictate where the Wildcats go from here.
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Why timing is now a key factor for Kansas State Wildcats in basketball coaching search."