McNeese State University is taking March Madness by storm and their student manager, Amir “Aura” Khan, is playing a big role in it.
Khan, who is currently a senior at McNeese, has been the men’s basketball team student manager for the past two years. For the 2024-2025 season, Khan has been by the team’s side as their go-to hype man with his signature boom box and charisma — and it’s paid off. McNeese won the Southland Conference and secured a spot in the NCAA tournament as a 12 seed.
While Khan’s teammates credit him for being the heart and soul of the group, he believes that they bring out the best in him.
“I think I’m just a normal guy, I really am. But I feel like if you wanna be something and you wanna do something, then you gotta wake up every morning and tell yourself you’re that guy. And then you have to tell yourself to believe it,” Khan said in a February interview with Hoops HQ. “Now I’m at the point where I’m fully believing it. I think the coaching staff, the players, my family, my friends [and] everyone around me has given me the confidence to believe I am that guy.”
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Before going into March Madness, McNeese was on an 11-game winning streak ahead of facing No. 5 seed Clemson. In the nail-biting game, the Cowboys ultimately upset the Tigers and secured their first-ever win in an NCAA tournament. Khan was there to celebrate alongside the team in their historic victory. In the second round, McNeese will face off against Purdue, who is a four-seed.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Khan and his time with McNeese:
How Did Amir Khan Go Viral?
Khan became a social media sensation in February after a video hit the internet of him escorting the players out of the tunnel. Before each game, Khan would carry a boombox blaring a rap song for the team to walk out to.
During McNeese’s game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the group walked to Lud Foe‘s “In & Out.” While Khan never typically sang along before, he surprised the team by belting out the rap and going down in internet history.
“It was low-key very shocking,” junior guard DJ Richards Jr., who picks out the walkout song for each game, said to ESPN in March. “Not too many people know Lud Foe ‘In & Out,’ and for Amir to start singing it, it definitely turned me up.”
Why Does McNeese State Call Amir Khan ‘Aura’?
Khan’s teammates dubbed him as “Aura” after his viral video due to his good vibes in the locker room.
“He’s just a phenomenal kid, phenomenal young man,” McNeese coach Will Wade said on a March podcast with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. “He’s getting a degree in sports management at McNeese, he wants to go into athletics and certainly we’re going to help him start his career. Our players love Amir, he’s always funny, quick-witted, he’s always got something to come back. He’s a phenomenal kid. It’s been great just to see him get the recognition and the way he’s shared it with the managers and the team and how excited our team is for him is really, really cool.”
Does Amir Khan Have Merch?
After going viral, McNeese dropped a shirt of Khan with his iconic quote about his time with the team.
“If they kept manager stats for rebounding and wiping up wet spots on the court, I’d put up Wilt Chamberlain numbers,” the quote reads on the back of the shirt.
The viral video moment is featured on the front.
Khan also has a line with Rock-Em which includes a set of socks with Khan’s face over it and a vintage style T-shirt. The McNeese cheerleaders sported the socks for McNeese’s first appearance in March Madness.
Does Amir Khan Have Brand Deals?
Khan made history as the first student manager to sign a brand deal. He’s got partnerships with Tick Pick, Buffalo Wild Wings and Insomnia Cookies.
What Did Amir Khan Do During March Madness?
Khan obviously selected McNeese as his winner pick for his March Madness bracket. In the team’s first game against Clemon, Khan supplied the good vibes. After getting the W, Khan celebrated with the team.
“We got our first [NCAA Tournament] win in school history,” he said in an interview with Fox Sports after the game. “McNeese is the hometown school and for us to get a win means the world to me.”
