Danny Manuel

Biography

Danny Manuel was elevated to Mississippi State’s Director of Operations in July 2025 and moves into his third season on Chris Jans’ staff in 2025-26. The Bulldogs have secured 21 victories apiece and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons when Manuel was a graduate assistant. State captured eight wins over Associated Press Top 25 teams which was the second-highest mark over a two-season span in program history. Manuel spent the previous four seasons at NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) in the Atlantic Sun and the America East Conferences working for Brian Kennedy. He was promoted to assistant coach for the 2022-23 season after he served as the program’s director of operations from 2019-20 to 2021-22. Prior to jumping to the NCAA Division I level, Manuel was the head boys basketball coach at his high school alma mater: the Miller School of Albemarle located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Manuel transformed the school into one of the top prep programs nationally that sent several players to play college basketball. The Miller School amassed 83 victories from 2014-18 after only winning eight games during the season before his arrival. Manuel guided The Miller School to three state championship game appearances and won the 2017-18 state title. He was named the Virginia State Coach of the Year in 2017-18 for his efforts. Manuel played college basketball at Davis & Elkins College, a NCAA Division II school, located in Elkins, West Virginia fr