Kansas basketball: It’s time for Danny Manning to come home

After being let go from his position at Wake Forest, Danny Manning should return to his alma mater and become an assistant coach with Kansas basketball.

Kansas basketball alum Danny Manning has officially been fired from his position as the head coach of the Wake Forest basketball team after a five-season stint with the Demon Deacons. Now is the perfect time to bring back the greatest Kansas Jayhawk of all-time as an assistant coach.

Manning was on Bill Self’s staff at Kansas from 2003-2012 where he coached many Kansas greats including Wayne Simien, Darrell Arthur, Cole Aldrich, the Morris twins, Thomas Robinson, and Jeff Withey.

After having immense success at Kansas, Manning took the head coaching job at Tulsa where he guided the Golden Hurricane to a 17-16 record in his first season. The following year, Tulsa had a 21-13 record, won their conference, and also made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Manning was hired by Wake Forest following the 2014 season.

In five years at Wake Forest, Manning only managed one winning season, leading to his firing on April 25. The Demon Deacons never had a finish better than tenth in the ACC.

Now, Bill Self has to find a way to get Manning involved with Kansas basketball somehow, especially given that David McCormack could really benefit from his mentorship. Not only that, but getting Manning back to Kansas is important for the program.

There’s also the factor that Manning may have a hard time finding another head coaching job, at least at a high-major school. His record over five years will likely scare off any schools from the big conferences, but there’s always the possibility he gets on at a smaller school.

Whatever Manning decides to do with his career, he’ll always be the GOAT of Kansas basketball. Hopefully, he’ll come back and impart some of his wisdom on the current Jayhawks.