The glasses. The swagger. The “aura.”
When video surfaced of former McNeese State men’s basketball manager Amir “Aura” Khan walking through the tunnel, boombox around his neck and going bar-for-bar to Lud Foe’s “In and Out” to the surprise of his own team, it didn’t just go viral — it made him the face of every pregame walkout dream.
Now, the student manager turned March Madness darling is bringing that same spark to Raleigh as part of the NC State men’s basketball program.
“I’m a student manager, nothing different than that,” Khan said. “I take pride in my job, I’m very passionate about it. I take pride in doing whatever I can to help the team win, whether it’s behind the scenes or during game day.”
A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Khan grew up five minutes from McNeese’s campus, eventually enrolling without a thought of becoming a manager. That changed when Will Wade was hired as the Cowboys’ head coach in 2023.
“When I saw Will Wade was hired … I was so excited that he was coming to town,” Khan said. “I was like, ‘I have to work with him.’”
He didn’t know it then, but that decision would set off a chain of life-changing moments — and one unforgettable walkout — that would make “Aura” Khan a college basketball sensation.
The viral clip came during McNeese’s late-season surge, before the Cowboys captured national attention with their NCAA tournament run. As the team filed through the tunnel before its senior night, Khan — boombox in hand — belted every lyric while his teammates watched in disbelief.
When the video hit social media, it spread fast.
“Throughout the day, my friends were telling me, ‘This account posted it, that account posted it,’” Khan said. “I follow all these pages and keep up with everything they post, so for them to share my video, I thought it was pretty cool but I didn’t think too much of it.”
But that changed overnight.
“When I checked my phone, I had like 100 unread texts and several missed calls,” Khan said. “People were telling me ESPN and Barstool had posted it. I couldn’t even process it all.”
The attention didn’t surprise those who knew him best.
“This is really my mans,” said former McNeese guard Sincere Parker after the Cowboys’ Round of 64 win over Clemson. “He’s in the gym early every day, getting rebounds. He’s for real. When he said he had Wilt Chamberlain numbers, he really did. Tell ‘em, boy!”
Khan’s “Aura” brand took on a life of its own, complete with NIL deals from Insomnia Cookies and Buffalo Wild Wings, among others. But fame didn’t change Khan’s focus.
When Wade accepted NC State’s head coach vacancy in the spring, Khan knew exactly where he wanted to be.
“[Wade]’s one of the best coaches in college basketball, and I’m just a normal student manager,” Khan said. “But for those two years, he didn’t make it seem like that. He treats everyone the same. Just like one of the players or one of the staffers, he expects you to do your job as student manager … for me to be able to continue that at NC State, which has such a passionate fan base, it was just an opportunity that I couldn’t pass.”
Now in Raleigh, Khan is adjusting to a new campus, a bigger city and a fan base with expectations that match his own. Noah Kyritsis, a fellow student manager and a second-year in business administration, discussed Khan’s work ethic in the midst of that cross-country move.
“Having to see him try to balance [his transition] and working for a Power [Four] program has been really cool to see,” Kyritsis said. “He’s definitely inspired me to work hard.”
At McNeese, he helped turn a small program without a single NCAA tournament win into one of the most talked-about teams in college basketball. Now, he sees the same opportunity in Raleigh.
“I take my job very seriously — it means a lot to me to be able to work for the team,” Khan said. “I’m ready to die for the NC State Wolfpack. That’s how my mindset is.”
That pride shows in his approach. Whether it’s the walkouts to “No Flockin” by Kodak Black or the aggressive closeouts he provides in practice, Khan believes his role can elevate the program’s atmosphere.
“We’ll bring the culture and bring the vibes the same way,” Khan said. “You can definitely expect it to be the same — maybe even elevated. I’m excited for it.”
His outlook fits perfectly in a program hungry to return to its winning standard just two years removed from a Final Four appearance.
“Coach Wade’s a winner — he’s won everywhere he’s gone,” Khan said. “Why expect anything less than just continuing that? The expectation for coach Wade is always to win the conference and compete for a national championship. He’s done it at every program he’s been, and now he’s going to the best program he’s been.”
Beyond Raleigh, Khan’s rise has also highlighted the role of student managers across college basketball — the unseen and unthanked workers who help programs like Wade’s function. His story, and NIL opportunities, have inspired others in similar positions.
Khan’s message to the fans is simple:
“Get ready, because a reckoning is coming.”
