Former Kansas Jayhawk great Danny Manning joins Louisville basketball coaching staff
Former University of Kansas basketball great Danny Manning, interim head coach at Maryland last season, has been hired as associate head coach at Louisville, first-year Cardinals coach Kenny Payne has announced.
Manning, who as a player led KU to the 1988 NCAA crown and was an assistant coach on Bill Self’s 2008 NCAA title team staff, guided Maryland to a 15-17 finish after taking over for former KU guard Mark Turgeon, who resigned last December.
Manning as a head coach went 78-111 at Wake Forest from 2014-2020 and 38-29 with Tulsa (2012-14). Prior to that, he worked at KU for six seasons.
Manning at 55 is the same age as Louisville’s Payne and has been friends with Payne for decades.
“I am very fortunate, blessed and excited to be part of the city of Louisville, the University of Louisville and Louisville basketball with coach Payne,” Manning said Friday. “I have spent a lot of time watching the Louisville basketball program dating back to the Metro Conference tournament. I have been fortunate to watch many people around basketball in my career. ‘KP’ is someone that I have always admired for his work ethic, knowledge of the game, and passion for helping young men reach their dreams and doing things the right way. I am blessed that he has given me this chance to continue working with young men, impacting their lives on and off the court, and helping them reach their dreams. I am equally excited to work with Nolan Smith (assistant coach) as his father was a mentor to me and Kenny. Derek (Smith) helped show me the ropes of high-level basketball.”
During a news conference Friday, Manning said as reported by The Associated Press: “II didn’t want to miss out on getting in on the ground level with Kenny as he builds this program. Part of my job is to throw ideas at him, and continue to throw ideas at him to help him navigate.”
Of Manning, Payne said Friday: “Very rarely do you have an opportunity to hire a coach that encompasses all the experiences that a college basketball player goes through. I’m so excited and thrilled to bring a family member, a friend and a coach who has lived a special life as both a player and a coach within the culture I’m trying to establish. Danny Manning is that and much more.”
Manning was a two-time first-team All-America pick at KU. He was the overall No. 1 pick in the 1988 NBA Draft and played 15 seasons in the NBA.
“There’s not too many times you get a chance to work for and be around people in this profession that you really, really care for and you enjoy being around,” Manning told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “For me, when the opportunity came about, I discussed it with my wife and my family and knew it was something I wanted to do.
“I’ve always been blessed in the sense of working for people that I’ve had a great relationship with, some people that I’ve cared for,” Manning added. “This business, this job is 24/7. It really helps, it’s a lot more enjoyable, when you’re around people that you love and you care for, everybody moving in the same direction.”
