Kenny Payne Hires Danny Manning as Assistant at Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Less than a week after officially introducing Nolan Smith as the first assistant on his staff, Louisville men's basketball head coach Kenny Payne has found assistant No. 2.
Former Kansas Jayhawks legend and Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning is joining the Cardinals as an assistant on Payne's staff, the program announced Friday.
"Very rarely do you have an opportunity to hire a coach that encompasses all the experiences that a college basketball player goes through," Payne said in a release. "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 had most recently served as an assistant at Maryland, stepping into the interim head coach role following Mark Turgeon's resignation early last December. The Terrapins posted a 10-12 record while Manning was in charge, finishing 15-17 overall.
Before joining Turgeon's staff in 2021, the 55-year-old Manning had previously served as the head coach at Wake Forest for six seasons. Although the Demon Deacons posted an overall record of 78-111 under his watch, they did make one appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2017 after going 19-14.
Prior to his run in Winston-Salem, Manning was the the head coach at Tulsa for two seasons from 2012 to 2014, going 38-29 with an NCAA Tournament berth in 2014. He first got into coaching in 2003 following the end of his playing career, starting as director of student-athlete development at his alma mater of Kansas before transitioning to an assistant under Bell Self.
Manning is one of the most accomplished players in the history of college basketball, and arguably the greatest player in the storied history of the Jayhawks. He is Kansas' all-time leading scorer with 2,951 points, a two-time consensus First-Team All-American and was the National Player of the Year in 1988.
A four-year player for the Jayhawks from 1984 to 1988, Manning played under Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown, and helped Kansas win the 1988 national championship as a senior. He was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player after logging 31 points, 18 rebounds, five steals and two blocks vs. Oklahoma in the title game.
Manning was subsequently selected with the No. 1 overall pick of the 1988 NBA Draft by Los Angeles Clippers, and went on to have a successful 15-year pro career. He was a two-time NBA All-Star, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1998, and retired with 12,367 points, 3,092 rebounds and 2,063 assists.
(Photo of Danny Manning: Jeremy Brevard - USA TODAY Sports)
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