Jerome Tang completes K-State Wildcats staff, hiring an assistant with Kansas City ties

Jerome Tang has completed his Kansas State men’s basketball coaching staff.

K-State announced Wednesday the hiring of Rodney Perry, a veteran coach who most recently led Link Academy in Branson, Missouri and the MOKAN Elite AAU team in Kansas City.

With MOKAN, Perry coached players such as Trae Young, Alec Burks, Willie Cauley-Stein and Michael Porter. He led MOKAN Elite to their third championship at the Nike Peach Jam this summer.

Link finished 34-2 and was national runner-up at the GEICO National Tournament as Perry was a finalist for the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Boys Coach of the Year award.

“I couldn’t be more excited about adding someone of the quality — on and off the basketball court — as Rodney Perry,” Tang said in a release. “Obviously he is a terrific coach and winner, just look at what he was able to do in just one season at Link Academy and his many years working with one of the best grassroots organizations in MOKAN Elite.”

Perry played at Arkansas-Fort Smith (1989-91) and Missouri State (1991-93) before starting coaching. He has 28 years of coaching experience, including six as the head coach at Avila University, and he also worked at UMKC, Oral Roberts and Western Illinois as an assistant.

“My family and I are extremely grateful and feel blessed to be joining such an incredible staff and university,” Perry said in a release. “I know the goals that Coach Tang has for the Wildcat family and community, the expectations are extremely high. I am committed to working extremely hard to ensure that these goals are achieved. I’m looking forward to getting started and helping the team get better on and off the floor and getting to know the Wildcat community. EMAW!”

Perry joins associate head coach Ulric Maligi, assistant coach Jareem Dowling, chief of staff Marco Borne, director of basketball operations Bailey Bachamp, director of player development Austin Carpenter, director of video services Anthony Winchester, director of basketball strategies Kevin Sutton and strength and conditioning coach Phil Baier on Tang’s staff.