Pair of Kansas Basketball Legends Make Coaching Return to Allen Fieldhouse

Two familiar faces will be on the visiting bench Tuesday night when Colorado takes on Kansas basketball at Allen Fieldhouse.

Buffaloes head coach Tad Boyle and assistant coach Danny Manning are both former Jayhawks, returning to a place where they left their mark on KU basketball history.

Boyle, a guard for Kansas from 1981-85, has been leading the Colorado program since 2010, guiding the Buffaloes to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. Manning, one of the greatest players in Kansas history, won a national championship in 1988 and remains a revered figure in Lawrence.

Now, the two are together on the same coaching staff, trying to steer Colorado through a brutal Big 12 season.

Kansas head coach Bill Self had high praise for both men ahead of their return.

“I hope that people welcome them both back, which I know they will, but Danny’s—he’s obviously as influential a player as this place has ever known and probably done as much for this athletic department and program as anybody ever has,” Self said Monday. “And so, yeah, we’re proud of everything he accomplished and what he continues to do and how he represents us everywhere he goes even though he’s not here right now.”

Manning’s legacy at Kansas is unparalleled. He remains the program’s all-time leading scorer (2,951 points) and was the driving force behind the Jayhawks’ improbable 1988 championship run, forever remembered as "Danny and the Miracles."

After a long NBA career, Manning returned to Kansas as an assistant under Self, helping the Jayhawks win a national title in 2008. His coaching journey has since taken him to stops at Tulsa, Wake Forest, and Maryland before joining Boyle’s staff at Colorado this season.

Boyle, meanwhile, has built a strong reputation as a head coach, leading the Buffaloes for over a decade. Though he never reached the same stardom at Kansas as Manning, Boyle was a key contributor under Ted Owens and Larry Brown in the early 1980s.

He now faces a tough challenge trying to turn around a Colorado team stuck in a 12-game losing streak.

Tuesday’s game is a meaningful homecoming for both men, but they’ll be on the opposing sideline against a Kansas team looking to get back on track in Big 12 play.

No matter the outcome, their legacy in Lawrence is secure, and they’ll likely receive a warm welcome from Jayhawk fans who still cherish their contributions to KU basketball.