Alexander is Still Casey

One on One with the K-State Coach

(St. Louis, MO) – When mid-major coaches leave for ‘greener pastures’ people wonder about their motivations and how they will proceed at their new location. So, we wanted to talk to the brand new Kansas State coach to hear how things are going. We found out that Alexander is still Casey.

After fifteen very successful years leading mid-major programs, Casey Alexander has stepped up into the ‘power five’ realm. During his time at Stetson, Lipscomb and the last seven at Belmont, Alexander has built an undeniable reputation for coaching winning and high-level offensive basketball.

His teams have won at least twenty games for ten straight seasons and his squads have claimed four conference championships and two league tournament crowns. After a season where is Bruins went 26-6 and still couldn’t get a whiff at an NCAA Tournament berth, it was time to try something different.

When K-State came calling, he was ready to listen. Alexander has spent five decades in Nashville  and twenty-seven in various stints at Belmont. Leaving Music City was not as easy as some think. Grabbing the ‘brass ring’ doesn’t come without also enduring some personal loss.

While leaving for the Big Twelve is exciting for Alexnader he has great faith in Belmont, new head coach Evan Bradds and says ‘Belmont will win games’. Alexander reminds us that Bruin Athletic Director Scott Corley is a proven winner and selector of coaches.

Coaching at a program that, if successful could more easily find its way into the NCAA Tournament wasn’t the only factor in Alexander’s move, but it was a significant one.

The first year coach is believed to have signed a contract that will average $3.4 million over the course of the next five years.

Alexander is Still Casey

Like Rick Byrd before him, Alexander is a program builder. While winning twenty games in a season and claiming championships are important, he has built in a consistent manner. His teams play a specific way and Alexander-coached players have very clear standards about how to treat others, play the game and live their lives.

In Manhattan, Kansas, Alexander is still Casey.

Building a completely new roster is not something he has had to do in a long time. Recruiting during this ‘portal pandemic’ makes that job even more difficult, but Alexander is looking for a certain type of player and person, while he’s portal shopping and speaking with high school recruits.

While monetary considerations are vastly different in the Big Twelve and in the Missouri Valley Conference, so perhaps it is a taller ‘high-wire act’. Two prep players that originally signed with Belmont have committed to K-State.

Jaylen Alexander and Devin Hutcherson followed Alexander to Manhattan and former Bradley Brave and MVC ‘all-freshman team’ member Montana Wheeler will be wearing K-State purple. Former Murray State forward Brock Vice is a part of the team too.

Seven other Division 1 transfers are on their way, with five of them coming from other power 5 programs. Redshirt freshman Matthew Gilhool was 2025’s number one player in Pennsylvania and a 4.3 star recruit at LSU.

Building his staff has included a healthy dose of former Belmont staff members and coaches from other programs. Reuniting with Sean Rutigliano and bringing J.J. Butler, Luke Smith, Kerron Johnson and others along will smooth the ride, but it has been a very busy time for the former Bruin mentor.

Head to YouTube to watch our entire interview or traverse to Valley Hoops Insider Podcasts for an audio only version.

Alexander is excited but not overwhelmed by his new job. He believes ‘coaching is coaching’. Once the players all get on campus, his work will feel similar to his previous three stops. And he wants to get back to recruiting and developing young players. Afterall, Alexander is still Casey.

Do Good