Amir “Aura” Khan, the McNeese student manager who went viral for leading the team onto the court during the men's NCAA tournament last season while carrying a stereo, entered the portal. He recently returned home after a brief stay at NC State.
“I would leave 'the portal' to the players,” Khan told ESPN this week. “I know that's the term used. I'd say I just transferred as a regular student.”
Thanks to Khan, McNeese's walk onto the court during the NCAA tournament became one of the most notable moments of the postseason, with Khan rapping the lyrics to King Von and Prince Dre's “Back Again” with McNeese's players, all while wearing a giant stereo around his neck. Khan even appeared in “One Shining Moment” at the end of the tournament.
Proof of his star power? He racked up more than 20 NIL deals, including one from Buffalo Wild Wings that included a new stereo, during the NCAA tournament. The settlements reportedly totaled more than $100,000.
I felt the aura when we opened the app š„ @McNeeseMBB
(through @McNeeseMBB)
pic.twitter.com/vlSYkZArwJ– NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 15, 2025
Following McNeese's run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Khan followed Will Wade to NC State after a personal request from the head coach.
“Coach Wade called me himself to say, 'Amir, we'd love to have you there,'” he said. “'We'd love to have you here.' … For Coach Wade to call me personally and tell me he loves me. [at NC State]”It meant a lot to me.”
But earlier this month, Khan returned home after a brief spell as student manager at the Wolfpack.
Khan said he left NC State on good terms with Wade, the staff and the team.
He had a few reasons for logging into the student manager portal, he said. Most of his credits were not accepted at NC State, which created an academic problem for him.
āIt pushed me to go back to being a sophomore,ā Khan said. “So I'm a senior [at McNeese]so I decided to go back and get my degree. That was actually the reason I left mid-season so I could be [at McNeese] for next semester and try to graduate this next semester.”
But concerns in the classroom were not the biggest problem for the king of the sound system. Khan was also homesick.
Lake Charles, Louisiana, where McNeese is based, is Khan's home. His family and friends are there. He's also a die-hard McNeese fan who was living his dream when he became student director three years ago.
Khan said he couldn't resist the opportunity to return home when it was offered to him.
“I just wanted to come home,” he said. “I think NC State was amazing. I loved the city, I loved the campus, I loved the players on the team. There was no animosity at all. I just wanted to get back with McNeese. It means a lot more to me to work for McNeese.”
The combination of factors led to Khan's return to McNeese under new head coach Bill Armstrong. And it could be the show's lucky charm.
McNeese is 2-0 since his return.
And he has used his old sound equipment again.
