Latest news with #In&Out
Fox Sports
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
McNeese's Amir 'Aura' Khan reportedly following Will Wade to NC State
Will Wade is officially off to North Carolina State, and it looks like he's bringing Amir "Aura" Khan with him. McNeese's student manager is expected to follow Wade to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he'll be a graduate assistant and hold other responsibilities that have yet to be determined, according to CBS Sports. Khan became the biggest social media sensation in the opening days of the men's NCAA Tournament. Nicknamed "Aura," Khan was the only student manager in the country to have a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal, becoming popular among college basketball fans as he led the Cowboys onto the court with an oversized boombox. [Read more: 'He is Aura!' How McNeese manager Amir Khan is taking the internet by storm] Khan's fame only grew following 12th-seeded McNeese's upset win over fifth-seeded Clemson on Thursday. Prior to that game, Khan walked out of the locker room with a boombox that had the Buffalo Wild Wings logo stamped on it. As McNeese players followed him, Khan joined the team in rapping NBA YoungBoy's "No Switch." Khan shared with FOX Sports' John Fanta on Friday that he had a few NIL deals with Buffalo Wild Wings, Insomnia Cookies and TickPick. However, other companies quickly expressed interest in signing Khan to an NIL deal after Thursday's game. He has 12 NIL deals that have a combined worth of over $100,000 as of Saturday afternoon, as the program has taken 135 calls about potentially signing Khan to an NIL deal, according to CBS Sports. One of those NIL deals is with Under Armor, who designs McNeese's basketball jerseys. The company reportedly had representatives fly to Providence ahead of McNeese's game against Purdue on Saturday to gift Khan a custom jumpsuit with "Aura" written on the back. Khan wore the jumpsuit for Saturday's game, which McNeese lost, 76-62. Khan first became a social media sensation in February, with a clip of him walking and wearing a boombox around his neck while rapping Lud Foe's "In & Out" as he led McNeese out of the locker room going viral. The program embraced Khan as he became a social media star, with both players and cheerleaders wearing socks with his face on them. "This is really my mans!," McNeese junior guard told Fanta on Friday. "He's in the gym early every day, getting rebounds. He's for real. When he said he had Wilt Chamberlain numbers, he really did. Tell 'em, boy!" Khan actually cited a former NC State star as the inspiration for wearing a boombox while leading the team out of the locker room. He was able to chat with DJ Burns in a FaceTime call on Friday, with a clip of their conversation making its way onto social media. "I saw y'all's walkout last year, [and] that's how I learned about it," Khan told Burns about how he got his nickname. "Y'all started doing it first, so I kind of learned from that." As Khan mentioned, Burns and NC State walked from the locker room to the court with a boom box while rapping before each game during its run to the Final Four in 2024. Burns and the Wolfpack were embraced by most college basketball fans as a result of that and their play on the court. Now, Khan will have a chance to follow in Burns' footsteps in Raleigh. Wade accepted an offer to become NC State's coach earlier this week, reportedly signing the contract following McNeese's loss on Saturday. Before Khan hits the transfer portal, though, he has some unfinished business at McNeese. He's hoping to play in the Manager Games during the Final Four in San Antonio, looking to secure the votes needed in order to participate. "The way that works is that the first three rounds are voting, but if you get to the Elite Eight, you play," Khan told CBS Sports. "They bring you out and the managers actually play. I think right now we're winning in the votes, and if we get there, definitely I'll be [in San Antonio]." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
March Madness 2025: Amir Khan, viral McNeese manager, expected to join coach Will Wade in moving to NC State
Amir Khan became an internet and TV sensation for McNeese during the Cowboys' two games in the NCAA tournament. However, with head coach Will Wade reportedly moving on to NC State, the student manager is expected to follow and take his "Aura" to Raleigh. Wade reportedly agreed to become the Wolfpack's new coach on Wednesday, just a couple of hours after he acknowledged during a press conference that he'd spoken with NC State ahead of McNeese's first-round matchup with his alma mater Clemson. The Cowboys upset the Tigers on Thursday before losing Saturday's second-round game to Purdue. The coach and NC State have agreed to a six-year deal, reports CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. Khan is expected to join Wade in Raleigh as a graduate manager. THE AURA IS REAL — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 22, 2025 Khan following Wade to NC State probably shouldn't be a surprise. He applied for a student manager position at McNeese because of his admiration for the coach, who he became a fan of while Wade was at LSU, according to the Associated Press. "[Wade] brought an energy to that team that LSU basketball had never felt," Khan told the AP's Kyle Hightower. "So whenever I saw that I had a chance to work for him, I had to step in and do it." Now, Khan, nicknamed "Aura" will step over to be a part of what NC State hopes is another turnaround by Wade, who's been extraordinarily successful during his career as a college basketball head coach. Khan is on pace to graduate from McNeese in the fall (with a degree in sports management), so it isn't yet clear when he'll join the NC State staff, nor what his role with the men's basketball program will be. He told CBS Sports that he will "keep options open," but knows he wants to be a graduate manager for a college basketball team. The student manager became a social media sensation during the past week for walking with the team out of the tunnel holding a boom box playing rap songs and singing along to tracks like Lud Foe's "In & Out." Never felt this much hype before a game—easily one of my all-time favorite filming moments😂🔥@McNeeseMBB x #BayouBandits — 'Who is PJ?' 🎞 (@Phil_UpOnMe) February 24, 2025 The clip of Khan leading the players to the court has drawn more than 250,000 views since it was posted to X by McNeese social media director Phillip Mitchell Jr. Since then, Khan has created his own T-shirts and became the first student manager to earn a Name, Image and Likeness deal, getting endorsement deals with Buffalo Wild Wings, TickPick and Insomnia Cookies. McNeese special assistant Reed Vial told CBS Sports that he took 135 calls on Thursday and Friday regarding Khan's NIL deals with hundreds of businesses wanting to ride his wave of popularity. During the weekend, Khan posed for photos with numerous fans, his face was on socks worn by McNeese cheerleaders and he even sat for a while next to filmmaker (and infamous New York Knicks fan) Spike Lee. "Amir Khan, you are officially a pioneer," Vial wrote on X when Khan signed his NIL deals. "In the wildest couple of weeks anyone could have, you've stayed so humble & true to yourself. First-ever college student manager to ink a NIL deal… 3 deals… all with global brands… in a week! Keep going. You deserve it all." Amir Khan pulled up to #MarchMadness in a custom "Aura" jumpsuit 🥶🧊💧 — Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) March 22, 2025 Khan has already earned six figures in income from those NIL endorsement agreements, according to Vial. Wade is expected to be officially announced as the Wolfpack's new coach on Sunday. In two seasons at McNeese, he compiled a combined 57-10 record and 36-2 conference mark. During his 11-year coaching career, Wade has a .705 winning percentage (253-106), which includes stops at Chattanooga, VCU and LSU.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 March Madness: Everything to know about Amir Khan, the viral McNeese manager in the NCAA tournament
Ahead of its stunning first-round NCAA tournament upset over Clemson, McNeese was in the headlines for head coach Will Wade reportedly agreeing to take the job at NC State after the Cowboys' March Madness run is finished. McNeese is also drawing attention during its tournament run for more fun and endearing reasons. Student manager Amir Khan has become a social media sensation for walking with the men's basketball team out of the tunnel holding a boom box playing rap songs and singing along to tracks like Lud Foe's "In & Out." [Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is back: Enter for a shot to win up to $50K] Nicknamed "Aura," Khan's rising profile has provided the opportunity to sell his own T-shirts and made him the first student manager to earn a Name, Image and Likeness deal, getting endorsement deals with Buffalo Wild Wings, TickPick and Insomnia Cookies. ALL THE AURA — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2025 "Not only did I know the song but it is one of my favorite songs," Khan told The Associated Press this week. 'So yeah, I just rapped a few of the lyrics. Some of the players saw that I was rapping it and they just kind of hyped me up telling me, 'Hey, just keep going, rap for us!'" he added. "We had the camera on us, but that's usually not a new thing. So yeah, I just I just rapping and having fun with it." Since McNeese social media director Phillip Mitchell Jr. posted the video of Khan with the players, the clip has drawn nearly 200,000 views on X. 'Easily one of my all-time favorite filming moments," Mitchell wrote with the post. McNeese's manager Amir Khan taking photos with fans ahead of the Clemson game 🤩GOAT 🤝(via @MarchMadnessMBB) — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 20, 2025 Khan was nearly as much of an attraction as the McNeese players prior to tipoff against Clemson in Providence, Rhode Island. McNeese cheerleaders are wearing Amir Khan socks at the game 😂(via @BleacherReport) — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 20, 2025 His rapport with the players and coaches was already apparent from the video, but guard DJ Richards Jr. was among those to praise Khan's work ethic. "The managers, they really don't get credit for what they do," Richards told the AP. 'They follow us all year. They rebound for us. They get up early and then they still have to go to class and come back and rebound again. ... I love that Amir is getting this." Assistant coach Reed Vial lauded Khan on social media after he signed his NIL deals. Amir Khan, you are officially a pioneer. In the wildest couple of weeks anyone could have, you've stayed so humble & true to yourself. First-ever college student manager to ink a NIL deal… 3 deals… all with global brands… in a week! Keep going. You deserve it all✊@amirk_23 — Reed Vial (@reed_vial3) March 16, 2025 "Amir Khan, you are officially a pioneer," Vial wrote. "In the wildest couple of weeks anyone could have, you've stayed so humble & true to yourself. First-ever college student manager to ink a NIL deal… 3 deals… all with global brands… in a week! Keep going. You deserve it all." Khan's popularity is sure to increase now that McNeese has advanced to the second round. What more is possible for him if the Cowboys get to the Sweet 16?
USA Today
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Who is Amir Khan? Meet McNeese basketball student manager, March Madness sensation
If there is one team in the NCAA Tournament that has found itself at the forefront of headlines through one round of play it's McNeese basketball. But it isn't just Will Wade's reported agreement to fill the vacant coaching job at NC State after the season ends, nor the fact they pulled off the first true upset of the 2025 March Madness Tournament. McNeese's student manager, Ahmir "Aura" Khan, is also a significant part of the Cowboys story in this postseason run. Wait, what? A student manager is a bigger story than the head coach and the 12 players on a roster? Yes, and that is the beauty of March Madness: Year after year, the one-of-a-kind tournament puts the spotlight on unsung heroes and makes them into social media sensations overnight. Khan and McNeese are coming off the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history on Thursday against No. 5 seed Clemson. A win on Saturday against No. 4 Purdue would send the Cowboys to their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance. Here's what you need to know about Khan ahead of Saturday's NCAA Tournament second-round game: Who is Amir Khan? Meet McNeese basketball manager Khan is the student manager for the McNeese basketball program, who has gone viral over the last month of the Cowboys' season. He first went viral on Feb. 22, when he was seen rapping "In & Out" by Lud Foe word-for-word while leading the Cowboys out for the game from their locker room while wearing an enormous boombox around his neck (warning: explicit language used). Since then, Khan has become one of the most popular members of McNeese's program and the NCAA Tournament. CBS Sports cameras caught Khan leading McNeese once again out onto the court at Amica Mutual Pavilion ahead of its first-round game vs. No. 5 Clemson on Thursday. "It was an amazing moment, because it was so genuine. It was just me feeding off their energy," Khan told USA TODAY's Paul Myerberg Friday of his viral moment. "That's kind of how it's been all year. We have a great relationship. It's definitely fun to be a part of." His recent rise to fame has helped him land name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with Buffalo Wild Wings, TickPick and Insomnia Cookies. "I enjoy the free cookies," Khan joked with Myerberg on his NIL deals. McNeese's cheerleaders were also seen wearing "Amir Khan" socks on Thursday on the sidelines in Providence, while Khan was seen taking selfies with fans in the stands on Thursday. "It's crazy. Because I never would have imagined this would have ever happened," Khan told The Associated Press in postgame. "I appreciate them for wearing it. I appreciate all the love and support. And seeing them wearing it means a lot to me." On Friday following McNeese's first NCAA Tournament win, Topps announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it has signed Khan to an NIL deal that has created his own trading card. Quite legendary for a 22-year-old sports management major from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Like many student managers, Khan volunteered himself to be McNeese's student manager before the 2022-23 season. Coined the "Amir Khan Effect" by CBS Sports, the Cowboys have won a combined 59 games in the two seasons that Khan has been the manager. McNeese only had 22 combined wins prior to his arrival. "He's a servant leader in the sense that when I was a manager at Clemson, you're at a bigger school. You have scholarship money we can divvy out. We're McNeese. We have no scholarship money," Wade said in an interview with The Associated Press. "This is strictly volunteer. When we got the job, we had no managers, we had nothing. He added: "I joked with him. He's our clock guy, which is the hardest thing to do in practice. You have to know the scoring in each of the drills. I said, 'Man, all this fame is getting to your head. You have to buckle in.'" What is Amir Khan's nickname? Khan's nickname is "Aura." As for where the nickname "Aura" comes from, it has to do with the drip and bling that Khan wears on the sidelines. In other words, aura is today's version of the word "swag." That isn't the only nickname he has given himself though. In a segment with March Madness, Khan gave himself a comparison to Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion Wilt Chamberlain. "If they kept manager stats for rebounding and wiping up wet spots on the court, I'd put up Wilt Chamberlain numbers," Khan said. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
New York Times
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The biggest breakout star of March Madness so far can't be found playing in it
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Even before coach Will Wade and McNeese became the breakout stars of the first two days of the NCAA Tournament by upsetting 5-seed Clemson in the first round, the Cowboys' hype man was an internet sensation. Amir Khan, the 22-year-old team manager and aspiring basketball coach nicknamed 'Aura,' sets the vibe for McNeese, with a boombox blaring hip-hop and the confidence of a 12-seed that believes it can beat any team in the country. 'I feel like the tone we're trying to set is to just come out very aggressive,' McNeese guard Javohn Garcia said. 'So I think it translates to the game. The energy from the beginning, you see everybody hyped up. I feel like just from him (Khan) and the music, it starts that.' Is your bracket busted yet? 😏#BayouBandits | #GeauxPokes — McNeese Men's Basketball (@McNeeseMBB) March 20, 2025 The 5-foot-7 Khan has become the bespectacled face of McNeese's moment in the spotlight, and everybody around the program seems to be enjoying his star turn. 'They've absolutely embraced it,' Khan said Saturday. 'And that means a lot to me because from the video originally going viral, it was just me feeding off (of the players') energy. They were kind of hyping me up, and I was just rapping the song. And that's kind of how it's been all year. We definitely have a great relationship. And all of them, they're such chill, humble guys. So it's definitely fun to be a part of that.' Advertisement Khan has been leading McNeese's pregame entrance for the past two seasons, but less than a month ago, before a home game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, it went from his thing to a thing. 'That's who Amir is,' McNeese star Christian Shumate said. 'He's always been the same person and always uplifting everyone around him, super goofy. And that's who he is. He's a funny person. One day it was just a clip of what we do all the time and it caught on.' Never felt this much hype before a game—easily one of my all-time favorite filming moments😂🔥@McNeeseMBB x #BayouBandits — 'Who is PJ?' 🎞 (@Phil_UpOnMe) February 24, 2025 Leading the team out of the locker room to a somewhat obscure song called 'In & Out' by Lud Foe (it happens to be one of Khan's favorites) he began rapping along with the players encouraging him. 'I had no idea that was the song we'd be playing, and they had no idea that I knew that song. So it was kind of an amazing moment because it was so genuine,' Khan said. Phillip Mitchell Jr., McNeese's assistant athletic director for creative media, filmed the scene and two days later posted on his own X account, which has about 2,000 followers. The original post alone now has over 200,0000 views. Khan's profile went through the roof and kept building as McNeese advanced through the Southland Conference tournament. Earlier this week, he signed sponsorship deals with Insomnia Cookies, Buffalo Wild Wings and TickPick. 'Good Morning America' was in Providence this weekend for a story on him. Got to interview the star of the tournament today. — Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) March 21, 2025 On Saturday afternoon, after the Cowboys finished media availability and practice, Khan was still at the arena, dribbling a basketball in the corridors and recording a promo for one of his sponsors. Khan is shy about revealing the value of those NIL deals. It might help pay for college, he said. 'I don't want to get into specifics for sure, but you know, I enjoy the free cookies,' he added. Advertisement Mitchell said all of March 2024, when the Cowboys also won the Southland Conference and made the NCAA Tournament, McNeese had 1.4 million impressions on its men's basketball X account. This year, in the last week, that account had more than 1.5 million impressions and overall was already over 2 million for the month. 'Indescribable,' said Mitchell, who added the notifications overloaded his phone on Thursday. Khan grew up in Lake Charles, La., not far from the McNeese campus, rooting for the school's teams and, like most Louisianans, LSU. A huge Kobe Bryant fan, Khan's own basketball career never really got off the ground. He didn't play for his middle school or high school, but he loves the game. 'I always go outside and shoot a basketball whenever I can and work on my game,' Khan said. 'I would say I'm a point guard. I feel like I can handle the ball. I can shoot it. I don't know if you can tell by my physical appearance, (I'm) not the best defensively. A little slow.' 'His game? He's nice. He can put a ball in the cup,' Shumate said. 'We played two on two, me and (teammate) DJ (Richards), him and our old manager. I was surprised at first, but he got game,' Garcia said. Khan said he once dropped 30 points in a McNeese intramural playoff game. It came in a losing effort, but he called it his 'best game.' The senior sports management major wants to pursue a career in basketball as a coach and hopes to catch on as a graduate assistant after he gets his degree. 'He's certainly positioned himself where he can do it and we're going to help him,' Wade said. 'He knows that, we have talked about that openly. So we're going to help him get started on his journey.' Before the Clemson game, Khan led the team out of the locker room to NBA YoungBoy's 'No Switch.' ALL THE AURA — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2025 The Cowboys' cheerleaders wore socks with images of Khan's face all over them. McNeese cheerleaders are wearing socks with Amir Khan's face on them. 🎥 @CBSSportsCBB — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 20, 2025 Khan and the Cowboys are trying to maximize their moment by staying true to what got them here. 'I know a lot of people expect us to be talking about it because it's been such a big thing,' Khan said. 'But we just want to keep it the same way it's been.'
