Kansas State’s Jerome Tang Discusses Adapting to the Evolving NIL Landscape
Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang recently shared his thoughts on the evolving NIL landscape and the challenges it presents for both players and coaches.
The college basketball world has undergone significant changes in recent years, with the introduction of the transfer portal and NIL playing major roles. In a discussion on Field of 68: After Dark, Tang reflected on how NIL has impacted his coaching experience.
To put things into perspective, Tang explained, “What was considered a high NIL last year is now seen as a low NIL this year.”
While Tang anticipated NIL would affect his players, he didn’t fully realize how much it would affect him personally as a coach.
He recalled his frustrations, saying, “I would go into practice every day, and I was really frustrated that my 18 to 23-year-olds were acting like 18 to 23-year-olds when I was paying them, thinking they’d suddenly act like 30-year-olds.” Tang admitted that this frustration made him less effective as a coach, and it wasn’t until he learned how to handle the situation that the team started reaching its potential.
Tang clarified that his frustrations weren’t about the players’ performance relative to their pay, but rather about their approach to practice. “I was expecting things like no pouting at practice, bringing energy, showing up early, and doing your rehab,” he said. “I had to teach them how to do these things. The money had nothing to do with it; they’re still 18 to 23-year-olds. My job is to help them grow from boys to men, and I lost sight of that during that time, letting frustration build.”
The 2024 transfer portal saw eight players leave their schools to join Kansas State. For the 2025 portal window, the Wildcats have added only one player so far: former Memphis forward Tyreek Smith. The final results of the transfer portal and NIL will unfold as the portal closes on April 22.
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