‘I’m in the Right Place at the Right Time’
Mar 27, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Less than two weeks after Casey Alexander wore a purple sports jacket, posed with a purple "ALEXANDER" men's basketball uniform, and expressed his gratitude to serve as Kansas State men's basketball head coach for a program that "has such a rich tradition and a wildly passionate fan base," the 53-year-old native of Nashville, Tennessee, sits in his quiet corner office in the Ice Family Basketball Center in a purple quarter-zip and recalls his journey to Manhattan.
And the possibilities of what's to come.
Alexander coached Belmont, his alma mater, to a 166-60 record and four conference titles in the last seven seasons, and he is one of four coaches to win at least 20 games in 10 consecutive seasons, joining Mark Few, Kelvin Sampson and Bill Self.
He coached Lipscomb to a 113-84 record from 2013-19 and took the Bison to their first NCAA Tournament in 2018.
He began his journey as a head coach at Stetson and led the Hatters to 24 wins between 2011 and 2013.
After winning 303 career games, Alexander sits inside his corner office at K-State, building his coaching staff, planning for the transfer portal to open on April 7, and eager for the opportunity to build something special at the Power 4 level.
"Naturally, I think we can win here," he says. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was resourced to win. I understand that the winning will be difficult. It's a great league and the league is the other part of it. It's as good of a basketball league as there is in the country. As a competitor and somebody who believes in his craft, you want that opportunity to do it at the highest level."
Casey Alexander spoke with D. Scott Fritchen of K-State Sports Extra for a special Cats+ Q&A:
D. Scott Fritchen: When I say the words "Kansas State basketball" what comes to mind first?
Casey Alexander: Tradition. It's been a historic program with a lot of great coaches and a lot of great teams. I'm still learning a lot of that, but I'm proud to be here and to continue that.
Fritchen: Exactly when did you learn K-State had an opening and how did you learn about the opening?
Alexander: I learned it the same way everybody else did. It was unusual circumstances with Coach Tang and the timing off all that. I had no readiness for that or preconceived notions for that, but one thing led to another after that. As is usually the case when the carousel starts turning, names are mentioned, and mine was in that early group. I'm not saying that I didn't deserve to be there, but there was surprise. There was no connection, no reaching out on our part, so there was some chatter and so forth, but that doesn't have to mean anything necessarily. Over time, the interest became mutual, conversations started, and it was a process like it always is. I'm thankful that the stars aligned and we're here.
Fritchen: In the end, what appealed to you most about this job?
Alexander: The town and this passion that people have for K-State. That's one thing that at this level, the fan-ship and commitment that goes into supporting a program like this and an athletic department like this is really intriguing to me. That's the most exciting part of this journey for me. Naturally, I think we can win here. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was resourced to win. I understand that the winning will be difficult. It's a great league and the league is the other part of it. It's as good of a basketball league as there is in the country. As a competitor and somebody who believes in his craft, you want that opportunity to do it at the highest level.
Less than two weeks after Casey Alexander wore a purple sports jacket, posed with a purple "ALEXANDER" men's basketball uniform, and expressed his gratitude to serve as Kansas State men's basketball head coach for a program that "has such a rich tradition and a wildly passionate fan base," the 53-year-old native of Nashville, Tennessee, sits in his quiet corner office in the Ice Family Basketball Center in a purple quarter-zip and recalls his journey to Manhattan.
And the possibilities of what's to come.
Alexander coached Belmont, his alma mater, to a 166-60 record and four conference titles in the last seven seasons, and he is one of four coaches to win at least 20 games in 10 consecutive seasons, joining Mark Few, Kelvin Sampson and Bill Self.
He coached Lipscomb to a 113-84 record from 2013-19 and took the Bison to their first NCAA Tournament in 2018.
He began his journey as a head coach at Stetson and led the Hatters to 24 wins between 2011 and 2013.
After winning 303 career games, Alexander sits inside his corner office at K-State, building his coaching staff, planning for the transfer portal to open on April 7, and eager for the opportunity to build something special at the Power 4 level.
"Naturally, I think we can win here," he says. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was resourced to win. I understand that the winning will be difficult. It's a great league and the league is the other part of it. It's as good of a basketball league as there is in the country. As a competitor and somebody who believes in his craft, you want that opportunity to do it at the highest level."
Casey Alexander spoke with D. Scott Fritchen of K-State Sports Extra for a special Cats+ Q&A:
D. Scott Fritchen: When I say the words "Kansas State basketball" what comes to mind first?
Casey Alexander: Tradition. It's been a historic program with a lot of great coaches and a lot of great teams. I'm still learning a lot of that, but I'm proud to be here and to continue that.
Fritchen: Exactly when did you learn K-State had an opening and how did you learn about the opening?
Alexander: I learned it the same way everybody else did. It was unusual circumstances with Coach Tang and the timing off all that. I had no readiness for that or preconceived notions for that, but one thing led to another after that. As is usually the case when the carousel starts turning, names are mentioned, and mine was in that early group. I'm not saying that I didn't deserve to be there, but there was surprise. There was no connection, no reaching out on our part, so there was some chatter and so forth, but that doesn't have to mean anything necessarily. Over time, the interest became mutual, conversations started, and it was a process like it always is. I'm thankful that the stars aligned and we're here.
Fritchen: In the end, what appealed to you most about this job?
Alexander: The town and this passion that people have for K-State. That's one thing that at this level, the fan-ship and commitment that goes into supporting a program like this and an athletic department like this is really intriguing to me. That's the most exciting part of this journey for me. Naturally, I think we can win here. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was resourced to win. I understand that the winning will be difficult. It's a great league and the league is the other part of it. It's as good of a basketball league as there is in the country. As a competitor and somebody who believes in his craft, you want that opportunity to do it at the highest level.
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