RADFORD, Va. – Radford University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Byron Samuels completed his staff today, officially announcing that he has hired Troy Manns.
Manns, 27, a former Patrick Henry High School and Virginia Tech point guard, comes to RU after spending last season as an assistant at Highland Springs High School near Richmond. Prior to his stint at HSHS, Manns worked for two seasons under Jack Esworthy at his alma mater, Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke.
“I feel now with the staff we have in place, we have the experience, knowledge and leadership to guide our program back to a championship-level of competition,” said Samuels. “All three are committed to being directly involved in the advancement of the program as a whole. Not only do they all possess, the proven ability to not only win basketball games, but to motivate and make a difference in the lives of student athletes, by putting emphasis on discipline and development of character, both on and off the court.”
Manns helped lead Patrick Henry to the 1992 Group AAA basketball crown. He played two seasons at George Mason before transferring to Virginia Tech, where he averaged 9.3 points as a senior in 1996-97. Samuels was an assistant coach at North Carolina-Wilmington when Manns played for Colonial Athletic Association rival George Mason. He holds a both a master's and bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech.
Samuels already had added Chibi Johnson and Kevin Martin to his staff since being hired in April. Manns, is slated to start June 10.
