Amir Khan shares how viral speaker walkout came to be

The rise to stardom for McNeese State manager Amir Khan all began in late February when he led the team out of the tunnel with a speaker on his neck. It was part of a hype video before the Cowboys’ game against UT-Rio Grande Valley that later went viral on X.

Khan and several McNeese State players danced and rapped along to “In & Out” by artist Lud Foe. His energy was so infectious that eventually the team circled around him and began to cheer him on as he continued to sing along.

It earned him the nickname “Aura Khan” and made him a social media sensation. The manager’s fame only continued to grow as the Cowboys earned a ticket to the NCAA Tournament and went on to upset Clemson in the first round. Khan was just as big of a story as the players themselves, earning plenty of air time during the broadcast.

McNeese State would go on to lose against Purdue in the second round, but Khan’s earned himself more than six figures through NIL, including deals with Buffalo Wild Wings and Insomnia Cookies. He appeared on KFC Radio of Barstool Sports recently to speak on how the moment that started it all came together.

“The whole two years I’ve been here, it’s really just been a normal manager role,” Khan explained. “Our (director of basketball operations), Nick Flory, he told us someone has to carry the speaker for walking out. I just happened to grab the speaker the first game and that’s just how I’ve been doing that. But like all managers do, we play our roles in different ways. That’s just one way I do it.”

Never felt this much hype before a game—easily one of my all-time favorite filming moments😂🔥@McNeeseMBB x #BayouBandits pic.twitter.com/NSqphtjFlP

— “Who is PJ?” 🎞 (@Phil_UpOnMe) February 24, 2025

Certainly Khan’s energy was infectious and he played his role on the team well during their run through the tournament. Now that the season is over, however, he has a decision to make about his future.

It was rumored that Khan might follow McNeese State coach Will Wade, who is leaving to take the job at NC State in 2025-26. But with potentially even more options to come his way, he hasn’t made a decision set in stone yet.

“I’m definitely going to take a few weeks to figure out everything, consider all my options, and see where we go from there. I would say the reports were a bit premature but I’m definitely, you know, open to following Coach Wade. You know, I think, like I said, he was my favorite coach before all of this happened, before I started working at McNeese so, you know, if I get a chance to continue working for him, I’ll definitely consider it.”

Regardless of what he chooses, Amir Khan has made a name for himself and surely has a bright future. His aura will surely find a place next year whether that be a return to McNesse, following Wade or elsewhere.