Tad Boyle is bringing a former teammate to Boulder.
Similar to changes in the football staff, a well-known professional athlete is joining the Colorado men’s basketball program.
Boyle and the Buffaloes have announced that Danny Manning will now be an assistant coach. Manning replaces Rick Ray, who moved to Vanderbilt after the Buffs' season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Manning expressed his excitement to join coach Boyle’s staff, aiming to learn from their success and contribute his experience as a player and coach.
Manning also thanked athletic director Rick George and the administration for the opportunity to join the Buffalo culture.
Manning, a College Basketball Hall of Famer and the No. 1 overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, was a freshman at Kansas when Boyle was a senior. He had a successful career despite suffering an ACL injury, playing 15 seasons and scoring 12,367 points in 883 career games.
Manning retired after the 2002-03 season, having been a two-time all-star and winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year honor for the 1997-98 season.
After retiring, Manning started his coaching career at Kansas under Bill Self and later became a head coach at Tulsa and Wake Forest.
Manning went 78-111 in six seasons at Wake Forest and also worked as an assistant at Louisville. He also served as the interim head coach at Maryland for a part of the 2021-22 season.
Boyle and Manning had previously worked together as assistants for the USA Basketball U19 team under John Calipari in the summer of 2017.
Boyle stated that Manning will bring the ability to connect with young people, mentor them, and guide them in achieving their goals, including becoming professional basketball players. His recruiting and family connection skills will also be valuable.
