College basketball coaching staffs change constantly, but Baylor has assembled one of the most interesting groups in the country entering the 2026-27 season.
Scott Drew has welcomed three familiar faces back to Waco, creating a staff that combines championship experience, professional basketball knowledge and longstanding connections to the program.
Jerome Tang has returned as associate head coach, Jake Lindsey is serving as an assistant coach and general manager, and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua has joined the staff as an assistant coach.
Each brings a different background, but all three share meaningful connections to Baylor's basketball history.
Tang helped build the program into a national contender, Lindsey played during an important period of the Bears' rise, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua was part of Baylor's 2021 national championship team.
Together, they represent an unusual reunion at a program attempting to reestablish itself among the Big 12's strongest teams..
Jerome Tang returns to the program he helped build
Tang's return is particularly significant because of his longstanding relationship with Drew.
He spent 19 seasons on Baylor's coaching staff before leaving in 2022 to become head coach at Kansas State. During that stretch, Tang played an important role in transforming the Bears from a struggling program into a national championship contender.
He joined Drew's staff in 2003 and eventually became associate head coach.
The partnership helped Baylor establish itself as a consistent Big 12 competitor, attract highly regarded recruiting classes and reach the program's greatest achievement.
That breakthrough came in 2021 when Baylor defeated Gonzaga to win the NCAA national championship.
Tang subsequently received an opportunity to lead his own program at Kansas State, where he gained valuable experience managing a Big 12 roster and competing against some of the nation's strongest coaches.
Now he has returned to the program where he spent nearly two decades.
His familiarity with Drew's coaching philosophy should make the transition easier, while his experience as a head coach provides another valuable perspective.
Few assistant coaches entering the 2026-27 season can match Tang's combination of program familiarity and major-conference head coaching experience.
Jake Lindsey brings a different perspective to Baylor
Lindsey's return provides another interesting connection between Baylor's past and present.
He played for the Bears from 2015 through 2018, appearing on three NCAA Tournament teams during his college career.
Lindsey was also part of the first Baylor team to reach No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings, an important milestone during the program's rise under Drew.
His coaching career subsequently included experience with the Utah Jazz organization and two seasons as an assistant coach at Grand Canyon.
At Grand Canyon, Lindsey worked under Bryce Drew, Scott Drew's brother, gaining additional experience with a successful Division I program.
Now Lindsey returns to Baylor with responsibilities extending beyond traditional coaching.
His official title is assistant coach and general manager, reflecting the increasingly complicated nature of modern college basketball roster construction.
Programs must evaluate transfers, recruit high school prospects, manage roster turnover and navigate an environment where player movement has become a major part of every offseason.
Lindsey's combination of playing experience, professional basketball exposure and college coaching knowledge could make him particularly valuable in that role.
His familiarity with Baylor's culture provides another advantage.
Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua completes an emotional reunion
Few members of Baylor's championship history have a more memorable personal story than Tchamwa Tchatchoua.
The former Bears standout played an important role on the 2021 national championship team and later earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022.
His college career also included a devastating knee injury that threatened his basketball future.
Tchamwa Tchatchoua eventually returned to the court, becoming one of the program's most inspiring figures because of his determination and resilience.
After leaving Baylor, he gained professional basketball experience with the San Antonio Spurs organization.
He spent two seasons working as a basketball operations video assistant, contributing to the organization's preparation and player development processes.
That experience provides an interesting foundation for his return to college basketball.
Tchamwa Tchatchoua understands the demands of playing for Drew, the defensive standards Baylor expects and the challenges young players face during their development.
His personal experience overcoming adversity could also make him an important mentor for the program's current roster.
For Baylor, bringing back a national championship player represents more than a symbolic decision.
It creates an opportunity to connect the next generation of Bears with one of the most successful periods in school history.
Baylor's coaching staff offers an unusual combination of experience
The three returning coaches aren't the only familiar figures on Drew's staff.
Ron Sanchez remains an associate head coach, while former Baylor standout Tweety Carter continues as an assistant.
Sanchez previously served as head coach at Charlotte and interim head coach at Virginia, providing additional leadership experience.
Carter played for Drew from 2006 through 2010 and helped Baylor reach the Elite Eight during his senior season.
The combination gives Baylor a coaching staff featuring multiple former head coaches, former players and individuals who contributed to the program's national championship success.
That variety could become particularly important during a season when the Bears are attempting to improve their position in a demanding Big 12 Conference.
Recruiting and player development remain essential, but modern college basketball also places enormous pressure on programs to maintain continuity.
Baylor's new staff provides a foundation built around relationships that have developed over many years.
Can familiar faces help Baylor rediscover its championship standard?
Drew enters his 24th season at Baylor with an extraordinary collection of accomplishments.
He has guided the Bears to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2021 national championship, establishing one of the most successful coaching tenures in program history.
However, previous accomplishments don't guarantee future success.
The Big 12 continues to feature outstanding programs, talented players and experienced coaching staffs. Maintaining a place among the conference's leading contenders requires consistent recruiting, effective player development and strong preparation.
Baylor's coaching reunion offers an interesting approach to those challenges.
Tang understands how Drew built the program. Lindsey brings experience from both college and professional basketball environments. Tchamwa Tchatchoua offers a championship player's perspective and valuable experience with an NBA organization.
Their individual strengths should complement the experience already present on the staff.
The reunion also provides Baylor with something that can be difficult to establish in modern college basketball: a shared understanding of the program's identity.
Whether that translates into immediate success remains to be seen.
However, few programs can enter a new season with a coaching staff featuring so many direct connections to their greatest accomplishments.
For Baylor, the road back toward national championship contention begins with several familiar faces helping guide the next generation.
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