Roy Manning officially joined the San Diego State coaching staff on January 15, 2025. He coaches the defensive edges.
Manning’s most recent stop was at USC from 2022-23 where he coached the outside linebackers and helped the Trojans to back-to-back bowl game appearances, including a 42-28 victory over Louisville in the 2023 DirecTV Holiday Bowl. He also helped take USC to the Pac-12 Championship game in 2022.
He spent the previous three seasons (2019-21) as Oklahoma's cornerbacks coach. In 2020, OU was third nationally in interceptions (16) and ninth in pass efficiency defense (112.9). The Sooner defense only gave up 12 passing touchdowns in 11 games, the fewest in the country by teams that played nine or more games. Cornerback Tre Brown was an NFL Draft fourth round pick in 2021 and cornerback Parnell Motley was an All-Big 12 first team selection in 2019. With Manning on staff, the Sooners won back-to-back Big 12 titles (2019-20), reached the 2019 CFP semifinal playing in the Peach Bowl and played in the 2020 Cotton Bowl and the 2021 Alamo Bowl.
Prior to Oklahoma, he was UCLA's outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator in 2018. The Bruins’ special teams improved from 65th to 20th in the college football S&P+ rankings.
He also coached the outside linebackers at Washington State from 2015 to 2017. In 2017, the Cougars ranked 16th nationally in total defense (323.3), ninth in passing defense (170.9) and ninth in turnovers gained (28), while allowing only 11 touchdown passes and posting 103 tackles for loss. The Cougars played in a bowl game in all three of Manning’s seasons - the 2015 Sun Bowl, and 2016 and 2017 Holiday Bowls.
He served the previous two seasons (2013-14) at Michigan, coaching outside linebackers in 2013 and cornerbacks in 2014. Wolverine linebackers Cam Gordon and Jake Ryan combined for 70 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2013 while defensive back Raymon Taylor earned All-Big Ten honors in 2014. Manning helped turn around a defensive unit that ranked 110th in total defense, 112th in passing defense and 108th in scoring defense in 2010 to top-20 rankings in total defense, pass defense and scoring defense both his seasons on staff. The Wolverines would make a bowl game in 2013, falling to Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
Manning’s first positional coaching stop was as the running backs coach at Cincinnati in 2012, helping the Bearcats lead the Big East in rushing with 201.5 yards per game. Running back George Winn had the second-best rushing season in school history with 1,334 yards (102.6 per game) and 13 touchdowns, both conference bests. Cincinnati would go on to beat Duke, 48-34, in the 2012 Belk Bowl.
In 2011, he was an offensive graduate assistant at Michigan, where he worked with the offensive line, helping the Wolverines to a 23-20 overtime victory over No. 17 Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.
His first coaching experience came in 2010 at Cincinnati, where he worked as a defensive assistant.
As a player, Manning spent three years in the NFL following a four-year collegiate career at Michigan (2001-04). As a Wolverine, he appeared in 37 games, including 10 starts in his final season, totaling 72 tackles, nine TFLs and three sacks.
He earned his bachelor's degree in general studies from Michigan in 2004.
Manning starred in four sports (football, basketball, baseball and track) at Saginaw (Mich.) High School where he was inducted into the Saginaw Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
THE ROY MANNING FILE
Position: Defensive EDGE Coach
Hometown: Saginaw, Mich.
Education: Michigan (2004)
Family: Son, Malakai, and daughter, Olivia
CAREER IN FOOTBALL
AS A COACH
2025-present: San Diego State (defensive edges)
2022-23: USC (assistant head coach for defense/outside linebackers)
2019-21: Oklahoma (cornerbacks
2018: UCLA (special teams coordinator/outside linebackers)
2015-17: Washington State (outside linebackers
2014: Michigan (cornerbacks)
2013: Michigan (outside linebackers)
2012: Cincinnati (running backs)
2011: Michigan (offensive graduate assistant)
2010: Cincinnati (defensive graduate assistant)
AS A PLAYER
2007: Jacksonville Jaguars & Cincinnati Bengals
2006: Houston Texans & Buffalo Bills
2005: Green Bay Packers
2001-04: University of Michigan