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.”
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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.
“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.
Khan was nearly as much of an attraction as the McNeese players prior to tipoff against Clemson in Providence, Rhode Island.
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 pic.twitter.com/hvEernU05Y
— 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. Before the team’s matchup with Purdue, Khan was sporting a custom “Aura” jumpsuit, naturally, when he walked the team out of the locker room with his boombox.
