KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NABC on Wednesday announced the cohorts of assistant men's basketball coaches and athletic administrators who have been selected to participate in the inaugural NABC Flight School presented by Nike on May 21. American University men's basketball associate head coach Jackie Manuel is one of just 25 assistants across the country invited to this event.

The invitation-only event, set to take place on the Nike Philip H. Knight Campus outside of Portland, will provide high-level programming targeted at ascending assistant coaches and athletic administrators. NABC Flight School will feature educational panel discussions, mock interviews, and opportunities to build connections between participants and influential head coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, and search firm representatives.

"Jackie is incredibly deserving of this opportunity and recognition," said Duane Simpkins. "He's one of the brightest coaches in the game, but what really sets him apart is the way he leads people. Our players trust him completely, he's made a huge impact on our culture and defensive identity, and I'm excited to see him continue to grow as one of the top rising coaches in college basketball."

Manuel, promoted to associate head coach following American's Patriot League Championship season in 2024-25, will begin his fourth year with Simpkins and the Eagles in 2026-27. He serves as the Eagles' defensive coordinator, specifically working with the team's post players. He also serves as the program's academic coordinator and assists with coordinating the team's community service.

American's scoring defense of 71.3 points per game ranked second in the Patriot League in 2025-26 and first at 67.7 in 2024-25. The Eagles led the PL with a turnover margin of 2.63 this past season, and also led the league in that category for conference games in 2024-25. Greg Jones earned All-Defensive Team honors for a second year in a row this past season, also being selected to the All-PL Third Team along with freshman standout Madden Collins, who was named to the All-Rookie Team.

"Professional development is central to the NABC's mission, and we're excited to invest in the careers of this accomplished group of coaches and administrators at NABC Flight School," said NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson. "Our goal for NABC Flight School is to help prepare this next generation of industry leaders to make an impact both on and off the court, and we thank our partners at Nike for collaborating on launching this premium new event."

Participants for the inaugural NABC Flight School were identified in consultation with head coaches, conference offices, search firms, athletic administration associations, and other college sports stakeholders.

2026 NABC Flight School – Assistant Coach Cohort
R-Jay Barsh, Gonzaga
Neill Berry, Marquette
Chris Carrawell, Duke
TJ Cleveland, Texas A&M
Duffy Conroy, Tulsa
Emanuel Dildy, Duke
Courtney Eldridge, Temple
Mike Farrelly, Notre Dame
Cody Fueger, Kentucky
Armon Gates, Minnesota
Ryan Hamm, Cal State Fullerton
LaDontae Henton, Georgetown
Chretien Lukusa, Morgan State
Jackie Manuel, American
James Martelli, VCU
James Miller, Oklahoma State
Jonathan Mitchell, Mercer
Brock Morris, Oklahoma
Pat O'Connell, Towson
Khristian Smith, Miami (OH)
Kyle Smithpeters, Missouri
Mike Sotsky, Harvard
P.J. Thompson, Purdue
Nate Tomlinson, Colorado
Will Voigt, BYU 

2026 NABC Flight School – Administrator Cohort
Kristen Brown, Nebraska
Ryan Clingan, St. Bonaventure
HJ Cohn, Oregon
Ken Dempsey, New Hampshire
Alfred Grigsby, Seattle
Tiffini Grimes, Purdue
Stephen Johnson, Seattle
Scott Sidwell, Colorado State

For the latest on American University Men's Basketball, stay tuned to AUEagles.com and follow the team on Instagram (@au_mbasketball), X (@AU_MBasketball), and Facebook (/AU.MBasketball).