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University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Josh Reavis
Lucas: Making A Connection
April 22, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Jackie Manuel plans to build relationships as part of Carolina's staff.
By Adam Lucas
Before we get started, you should know that I thoroughly searched.
I wanted to see if I could find one person with something negative to say about Jackie Manuel. I asked members of the women's basketball team, with whom he spent the last year working in a staff role. I asked his former teammates. I asked coaches who have worked with him on previous staffs, both at Carolina and elsewhere.
Zero, nothing. Not one bad word.
It should be noted that I did not speak with Julius Hodge, the former NC State star who was once viciously dunked on by Manuel in a Tar Heel win at the Smith Center. Perhaps Hodge still harbors some animosity. If so, he would be the lone voice, because people who come in contact with Jackie Manuel really, really like him.
"Jackie meets people where they need to be met," says Carolina women's head coach Courtney Banghart, who had Manuel on her staff for the past year. "His humility is his superpower, and his care for others is his biggest asset. He is a positive energy force always. He communicates honestly, and is others oriented to the core. He listens, he observes, and he cares."
That's where Manuel, who coached against Hodge in a previous coaching stop and who is--of course--on good terms with the chatty former Wolfpack standout, will be such an asset to the Tar Heels. College basketball has changed. In many cases, the days of committing to a program for four years are over. In 2021, you have a player for a year, and if he isn't satisfied with his development and has no solid ties to the program, he's going elsewhere. It isn't enough to offer the potential of improvement in the future. The new era of college basketball requires recruiting the current players while they are on the roster and helping them build a foundation where they can be successful on and off the court.
Manuel, whose exact duties are still being defined, will create that connection with the current players. Hubert Davis said he wants players who will unpack their bags in Chapel Hill. Manuel will help them unpack, offer to move the furniture, and introduce them to the neighborhood.
And that, in the end, will make the Tar Heels a more successful program.
"Jackie understands winning," says new Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller, a former Manuel teammate who also coached with him for four seasons. "He understands the team dynamic and he has the ability to communicate effectively to young people. He loves Carolina Basketball and he truly cares about the young people he is coaching. At UNCG, he impacted the lives of our guys on and off the floor. He'll do a great job for Coach Davis."
Manuel will find out more about the specifics of what that job will entail in the days and weeks to come. He's already certain, though, that a major component will be one of his best assets—dealing with people.
"I just love people," Manuel says. "I love the interaction. Most importantly, I know how my journey was, not knowing anything when I got here and still trying to figure it out when I left. I'm trying to cut that time in half for them. I want these guys to have as much information as they possibly can to be better people and better adults. You're going to learn basketball. But there are also things outside basketball that are important."
Of course, he won't be able to do that on the court. So he'll have to find a way to build those relationships outside of conventional practice time. Hubert Davis has already made some adjustments to player routines to facilitate interaction in the basketball office and other areas of the Smith Center. Expect Manuel to make the most of those changes.
But he's also become adept at utilizing even the smallest moments to create a connection.
"A tangible example is during water breaks in practice," Banghart says. "Most coaches and teachers use those as a chance to catch their breath. For Jackie, water breaks are a time to connect with others—players and coaches, to ensure all are swimming in the same direction. He will be a huge asset to the men's program."
Before we get started, you should know that I thoroughly searched.
I wanted to see if I could find one person with something negative to say about Jackie Manuel. I asked members of the women's basketball team, with whom he spent the last year working in a staff role. I asked his former teammates. I asked coaches who have worked with him on previous staffs, both at Carolina and elsewhere.
Zero, nothing. Not one bad word.
It should be noted that I did not speak with Julius Hodge, the former NC State star who was once viciously dunked on by Manuel in a Tar Heel win at the Smith Center. Perhaps Hodge still harbors some animosity. If so, he would be the lone voice, because people who come in contact with Jackie Manuel really, really like him.
"Jackie meets people where they need to be met," says Carolina women's head coach Courtney Banghart, who had Manuel on her staff for the past year. "His humility is his superpower, and his care for others is his biggest asset. He is a positive energy force always. He communicates honestly, and is others oriented to the core. He listens, he observes, and he cares."
That's where Manuel, who coached against Hodge in a previous coaching stop and who is--of course--on good terms with the chatty former Wolfpack standout, will be such an asset to the Tar Heels. College basketball has changed. In many cases, the days of committing to a program for four years are over. In 2021, you have a player for a year, and if he isn't satisfied with his development and has no solid ties to the program, he's going elsewhere. It isn't enough to offer the potential of improvement in the future. The new era of college basketball requires recruiting the current players while they are on the roster and helping them build a foundation where they can be successful on and off the court.
Manuel, whose exact duties are still being defined, will create that connection with the current players. Hubert Davis said he wants players who will unpack their bags in Chapel Hill. Manuel will help them unpack, offer to move the furniture, and introduce them to the neighborhood.
And that, in the end, will make the Tar Heels a more successful program.
"Jackie understands winning," says new Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller, a former Manuel teammate who also coached with him for four seasons. "He understands the team dynamic and he has the ability to communicate effectively to young people. He loves Carolina Basketball and he truly cares about the young people he is coaching. At UNCG, he impacted the lives of our guys on and off the floor. He'll do a great job for Coach Davis."
Manuel will find out more about the specifics of what that job will entail in the days and weeks to come. He's already certain, though, that a major component will be one of his best assets—dealing with people.
"I just love people," Manuel says. "I love the interaction. Most importantly, I know how my journey was, not knowing anything when I got here and still trying to figure it out when I left. I'm trying to cut that time in half for them. I want these guys to have as much information as they possibly can to be better people and better adults. You're going to learn basketball. But there are also things outside basketball that are important."
Of course, he won't be able to do that on the court. So he'll have to find a way to build those relationships outside of conventional practice time. Hubert Davis has already made some adjustments to player routines to facilitate interaction in the basketball office and other areas of the Smith Center. Expect Manuel to make the most of those changes.
But he's also become adept at utilizing even the smallest moments to create a connection.
"A tangible example is during water breaks in practice," Banghart says. "Most coaches and teachers use those as a chance to catch their breath. For Jackie, water breaks are a time to connect with others—players and coaches, to ensure all are swimming in the same direction. He will be a huge asset to the men's program."
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