Amir 'Aura' Khan is back for March Madness 2026 as McNeese basketball secures a bid. Meet the viral boombox manager turning heads and signing NIL deals
A blue boombox, a hip-hop track and a whole lot of swagger. That’s all it took for Amir “Aura” Khan to become the most talked-about figure in college basketball — and he doesn’t even play. Khan is the student manager for the McNeese Cowboys men’s basketball team.
No three-pointers. No dunks. Just vibes. And now, as the Cowboys head back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, he’s bringing the boombox with him. The Lake Charles, Louisiana, native went viral in February 2025 after posting a video of himself leading the Cowboys onto the court against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi while playing “In & Out” by Lud Foe on a blue boombox hanging from his neck. The clip blew up across social media. And as McNeese locked in its bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Khan’s fame snowballed right along with it. “It feels like a dream and I’m going to wake up one day,” Khan told Front Office Sports. “It doesn’t feel real.” His bio on McNeese’s official website describes him as “the most talked-about college basketball manager in the country.” During the Cowboys’ 2025 tournament run, the cheerleaders wore shirts — and the players wore socks — with his face on them. Khan became the unlikely mascot of a Cinderella story that had college basketball fans across the country locked in.“If they kept manager stats for rebounding and wiping up wet spots on the court, I’d put up Wilt Chamberlain numbers,” Khan said, per his McNeese bio.The Cowboys earned a No. 12 seed in 2025 with a 28-6 record and a 19-1 mark in Southland Conference play. They won the Southland Conference Tournament championship — their second in a row under then-coach Will Wade. McNeese quickly became a fan favorite, largely because of Khan, and the energy skyrocketed when they upset No. 5 seed Clemson in the first round. That was the school’s first-ever March Madness win. Purdue knocked the Cowboys out in the Round of 32, ending their shot at a first Sweet 16 appearance. But by that point, Khan had already become a household name. Now one year later, McNeese finished the 2025-2026 regular season 28-5, tied with Stephen F. Austin. SFA held a slight edge in conference play at 20-2, compared to McNeese’s 19-3. But the Cowboys secured their March Madness bid by upsetting SFA in the Southland Conference Tournament — their third consecutive Southland championship win. They landed a No. 12 seed again and will face No. 5 seed Vanderbilt on March 19. Another David-vs.-Goliath matchup. Another chance for Khan to steal the show.Khan’s viral fame didn’t just earn him followers. It translated into real money. He executed more than 20 endorsement deals during the 2025 tournament run, per Front Office Sports. His partners include Buffalo Wild Wings, TickPick, TurboTax and Insomnia Cookies — brands that typically chase star athletes, not the guy carrying the equipment bag. Khan has his favorites among all those deals: a bobblehead made in his likeness, and a Topps sports card. “I collected sports cards as a kid,” Khan said. “To have my own, and it to be for Topps, it’s special. I don’t think there’s anything like that.”The NCAA has never prohibited managers from signing NIL deals, but managers rarely have enough of a public profile to attract endorsers. Khan is believed to be the first student manager to benefit from tournament NIL deals. Student managers typically receive no compensation, though some can earn scholarships. The NIL era began in 2021, allowing players — and viral figures like Khan — to profit during March Madness.Khan’s path since last year’s tournament hasn’t been a straight line. After the 2025 run, he followed coach Wade to NC State. He was re-enrolled as a sophomore there due to credit transfer issues — a frustrating setback for someone who had already put in the coursework. But the detour didn’t last. Khan transferred back to McNeese after a few months. He’ll complete his degree in just a few more semesters. His return meant he was right back where the magic started, and right on time for another tournament run. As for his future, Khan is interested in a career in sports media or coaching, and he hopes McNeese will hire him as a graduate assistant next year. He grew up in Lake Charles, just a few miles from campus, and he’s spent his college years soaking up the game from the sideline. But his sudden fame has opened doors he never expected. Khan is open to social media as a potential career path, though he’s still working out what that would look like. “With everything that’s happened over the last year, it’s opened the door being on social media as a career. What that would look like, I don’t know,” Khan said. One thing is clear: when the Cowboys take the court against Vanderbilt on March 19, all eyes will once again be on the guy who doesn’t play a single minute but somehow steals the show.
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