Jerome Tang’s coaching staff taking shape at Kansas State with major first addition
Jerome Tang won’t be formally introduced to Kansas State fans as the school’s men’s basketball coach until Thursday, but his staff is already beginning to fall into place.
Ulric Maligi, a respected assistant who has worked under Chris Beard at Texas and Texas Tech the past three seasons, is poised to follow to Tang to Manhattan and serve as his associate head coach next season, according to sources with knowledge of the hire.
Securing Maligi as his top lieutenant is an impressive first move for Tang. He is thought to be one of the best recruiters in the Lone Star State after working at several schools there the past 16 years. He previously spent time at Texas-Arlington, Stephen F. Austin, Houston, SMU, Texas A&M and Texas Tech before joining Beard’s initial coaching staff with the Longhorns this past season.
If Tang hopes to prioritize Texas as one of his main recruiting areas, as he did during his 19 years working alongside Scott Drew at Baylor, Maligi should help him find prospects who are interested in playing for K-State.
One other coach is expected to join Tang at K-State by the end of the week, according to sources.
Jareem Dowling, an assistant at North Texas who like Tang was born in the Caribbean, should also join K-State’s coaching staff as an assistant next season. Dowling has posted several congratulatory messages about Tang and the Wildcats this week on social media.
Dowling has spent the past five seasons with Grant McCasland at North Texas. He also has coaching experience at Arkansas State, Southern Mississippi and Morehead State.
That leaves space for one more assistant on K-State’s coaching staff. It is believed that Tang will meet with Shane Southwell later this week and consider retaining the former Wildcats player as an assistant. But Tang could also save that spot for another coach with strong Texas recruiting ties.
He is clearly prioritizing those so far.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Jerome Tang’s coaching staff taking shape at Kansas State with major first addition."