Jerome Tang finishes second in AP Coach of the Year vote

MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - Kansas State’s head basketball coach Jerome Tang ends his first year finishing in second place in the Associated Press’ Coach of the Year vote. Former Texas coach and current head coach of Marquette Shaka Smart won the award, the AP announced Friday, March 31.

Tang finished with 13 out of 58 votes. He led Kansas State, who was picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll, to a 3rd place conference finish before leading the Wildcats to their first Elite 8 appearance since 2018. They fell to Florida Atlantic 79-76 on Saturday, March 25 in New York City.

Smart earned 24 out of 58 votes, winning the honor as the AP Coach of the Year. Smart led the Marquette Golden Eagles to a Big East regular season and tournament title after being picked to finish 9th in its preseason poll. Marquette would lose in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to No. 7 seed Michigan State 69-60 Sunday, March 19.

The votes were cast between the end of the regular season and the start of the NCAA Tournament.