Danny Manning embracing developmental role on Colorado’s staff
- Matt Spivack
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
All Danny Manning needed was two words to describe his decision to become an assistant coach at the University of Colorado Boulder.
“Tad Boyle,” he said. “Someone I know, love and trust.”
The two played at Kansas together for one year (1984-85), while Boyle was a senior and Manning was a freshman. After that season, Boyle started his coaching career, and eventually became the head coach of the Buffaloes in 2010. Manning went on to be the 1988 No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick.
Now, about 40 years later, they are back sharing the same court as veteran coaches.
“Not every former player is always a good coach,” Boyle said. “But his ability to communicate those experiences are what makes Danny, you know, a special coach, and what makes him valuable.”
Part of Manning’s role on the team, as a former power forward, is to help develop the big men; specifically Leonardo Van Elswyk and Fawaz ‘Tacko’ Ifaola. Both freshmen are listed at 7 feet or taller and are working on integrating into the rotation.
Ifaola recently started his first game for Colorado, scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds against TCU. He has played over 10 minutes in four games this season and averages one point and over two rebounds a game.
Van Elswyk has yet to see the floor this season. However, the Milan, Italy native played for the Buffs during their summer trip Down Under. Most notably, he put up three points and four rebounds in eight minutes against Australia’s national team, the Boomers.
“For me, it's just talking to them [Ifaola and Van Elswyk] every day,” Manning said. “Telling them what I see, saying different things that I think can help them out during the course of play.”
As an assistant coach at Colorado, Manning has a unique set of responsibilities, different from his time as a head coach. He cherishes all of them.
“I’ve been fortunate and blessed to have a lot of years of basketball under my belt,” Manning said. “I just want to share everything that I have. And sometimes it's X's and O's, sometimes it's life… I’m very happy in the role that I have, great staff, great people. Work with wonderful kids on a daily basis.”
Manning takes pride in being just as much of a life coach as he is a basketball coach. Shaping and molding his young players into trustworthy and respectful men brings joy to him.
“All the things that we do mimic life,” he said. “We want you to put forth great effort, great attention to detail, and those are all things that carry over life, no matter what type of occupation that you move into.”
Although Manning is passionate about coaching, it wasn’t always the plan for him. But as his NBA career wound down, the change happened naturally.
During his last four years in the NBA he averaged just over 13 minutes played, a significant drop from his first 11 years in the league, causing him to take on a new role.
“Toward the end of my career… I felt like the only way I could contribute to my team was to talk to my teammates during timeouts,” he said. “And it kind of just morphed into the coaching aspect.”
Before taking the assistant role at Colorado, Manning was a head coach at Tulsa University from 2012-14 and at Wake Forest from 2014-20. He also served as Maryland's interim head coach for a majority of the 2020-21 season. As a head coach, Manning has a 125-154 record in 280 games and has taken his teams to the NCAA Tournament twice (2014, 2017).
Despite possibilities for him to become a coach at the NBA level, he decided to stick with his bread and butter.
“There've been some discussions,” Manning said. “But I've just got a little bit more comfortable in the college space, and that’s where I’m trying to make my home.”
As a player, Manning has always competed at the highest level. From leading his high school team to a state title, to winning the 1988 NCAA Championship at Kansas, to being selected to the NBA All-Star team twice in 1993 and 1994. But that’s not the reason Boyle wants Manning on his staff.
“I always say, as good of a player as he [Manning] was, he was an even better teammate,” Boyle said. “And that's one of the things we really try to stress to our players, you know, when somebody calls you a good teammate, it's the biggest compliment they can give you.”
Although Manning’s playing days are far behind him, his influence on the game can still be felt.
Whether it’s teaching how to read defensive coverages or guiding players through adversity, Manning’s legacy is no longer measured in points or rebounds. Rather, it can be seen through the development of his players on and off the court.
In Boulder, his impact has just begun.