Danny Manning has agreed to leave the Jayhawks where he serves as an Assistant Coach under Bill Self. In a strange twist of fate, Manning will become head coach at Tulsa, where Self coached from 1998-2000.
But Manning isn’t a Golden Hurricane in his heart just yet: ”Right now my focus is on Kansas and its participation in the Final Four,” Manning said in a statement released by Tulsa on Thursday. ”We’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point and we want to keep it going for another few days.”
Manning will help lead the Jayhawks in New Orleans in the national semifinals Saturday night.
Here are some Twitter reactions to his promotion:
Danny Manning leaving Kansas for Tulsa. We remember watching Manning play for Kansas. Sad to see him leave the program, but wish him luck!
Danny Manning has helped turned Kansas into “Big Man U” – and now he’s leaving for Tulsa: http://t.co/HZlXQtep
King: Kansas’ Manning is more than ready to become a head coach http://t.co/pnFOmoaY
2011 @ESPNCharleston team @TulsaHurricane is getting a new coach – Danny Manning of @KU_Hoops ! Congrats!
Congratulations to Danny Manning on getting a coaching gig at Tulsa.
Tulsa makes great hire. Danny Manning is more than ready 4 this challenge. Ready to reinvent himself.
Danny Manning is a five-star hire in so many ways. Be interesting to see how he deals with the alumni/fan/media side of being a head coach.
Great news for Danny Manning. I’ve been a fan since his LHS days. He’s done remarkable work for #KUBBall. http://t.co/5IRJZwNr
Danny Manning has given everything to Kansas. That’s why he IS Kansas. Hope he has amazing success at Tulsa.
Bill Self is that dude but y’all don’t give Danny Manning enough credit!!! He turns these big men from average/good players to #POY players!
Manning won the National Championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and again on the coaching staff in 2008. He is the son of former NBA player Ed Manning.
The 1988 season was one of the most trying and memorable in Kansas basketball history. Coach Larry Brown lost nine members of the team and was forced to recruit two football players off the roster in mid-January. Yet they triumphed in the end.
Perhaps Manning is a great coach in part because he has seen first-hand how other athletic directors have overcome adverse circumstances.
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