Baylor's Scott Drew, Kansas' Bill Self weigh in on Kansas State basketball hiring Jerome Tang

Scott Drew had watched Jerome Tang weigh coaching offers in the past without really expecting him to leave.

When the Kansas State job came open two weeks ago, that suddenly changed.

"I could see before when he's contemplated things, was different," Drew said Wednesday, the day after Tang officially left Baylor to take his first college head coaching job with the Wildcats. "This time there was peace, there was joy, there was excitement."

Tang had been with Drew from the start on his tenure at Baylor, spending 19 years with the Bears, first as an assistant and then since 2017 as associated head coach. The two had been together from the start, when they took over a program rocked by scandal and over time molded it into a national power.

MORE: K-State fans welcome new head men's basketball coach Jerome Tang

"When you see someone excited, you're excited," Drew said of his reaction to Tang's decision. "So, after the hug, then the tears came. Nineteen years is a long time, so (it's) a true blessing.

"It speaks to his character and loyalty, because in today's day and age it's so often taught, 'Keep progressing, make as much as you can, get the best title (and) be a head coach, whatnot.' He always told me his goal was to be the best assistant coach I've ever had, to be loyal and serve the program and that's why he's so successful and a big reason why our program is so successful."

Indeed, Baylor struggled in the early years, never finishing better than 11th in the Big 12 the first four seasons of Drew and Tang's tenure before breaking through in 2007-08 and tying for fourth. The Bears have won at least 18 games every season since, and last year claimed the school's first-ever national championship.

They won the Big 12 regular-season title last year and then shared it with Kansas this season, earning a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed before bowing out in the second round to 8-seed North Carolina.

As a result, Tang developed a reputation as one of the nation's top assistants and became a target in several head coaching searches. Drew was asked why K-State was the best fit and also what advice he gave Tang in weighing different positions.

"I think first and foremost, he prayed about it and he felt at peace and led to go there," Drew said. "That's always biggest advice I always give any coaches, because you can never take a job for outside people telling you to take it or you can't take it for money or prestige.

"You have to take it because you feel a calling. He feels that and he likes the smaller-community atmosphere. He loves the passion of the fans. We play up there — Octagon of Doom (Bramlage Coliseum) is a great name — and their fans are passionate and the coaches they've had have been tremendous coaches and they have gotten their players to compete."

Kansas coach Bill Self weighs in on K-State hiring Jerome Tang

Drew was not the only Big 12 coach to weigh in on Tang's selection for the K-State job.

Kansas coach Bill Self also was complimentary Tuesday when asked about the new leader of the Jayhawks' in-state rivals.

"He's going to do a great job. He's earned it," Self said. "He's earned (the opportunity) to be a head coach many years ago and has waited it out very patiently to get the position that he felt like was the best fit for him.

"And it was going to happen. It was inevitable and he's a great hire."

Self said that when he was starting out as a head coach at Oral Roberts, he recruited one of Tang's high school players from Heritage Christian.

"I'm happy for Jerome," Self said with a smile. "I left him a message today.

"His answer machine already said, 'What a great day to be a Wildcat,' and I said, 'I beg to differ, but I am very happy for you and look forward to us getting to spend some time together.' But it will be fun. It will be competitive, and they'll certainly be battles."