The American University men’s basketball program prides itself on developing student-athletes who excel both on the court and in the classroom. Guided by the core values of character, toughness, work ethic, and humility, the Eagles compete at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Patriot League. The program combines championship ambition with a strong commitment to academic excellence and personal growth — all in the heart of Washington, D.C.
Fresh off the 2025 Patriot League Championship and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in over a decade, American continues to build on a tradition of excellence that reflects both the strength of its values and the passion of its community.
Program Quick Facts
- 4 NCAA Tournament appearances
- 4 Patriot League championships
- 3 All-Americans
- 4 All-American Honorable Mentions
- 4 Patriot League Tournament MVPs
- 18 Patriot League All-Tournament Team selections
- 17 All-Patriot League First Team selections
- 13 All-Patriot League Second Team selections
- 5 All-Patriot League Third Team selections
- 6 Patriot League All-Defensive Team selections
- 11 Patriot League All-Rookie Team selections
- 2 Academic All-Americans
- 3 Patriot League Scholar Athletes of the Year honors
- 10 Patriot League All-Academic Team selections
- 77 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll recipients
- 2 Patriot League Coaches of the Year
University Quick Facts
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- Founded: 1893
- Enrollment:14,311 (8,287 undergrads)
- Mascot: Eagles
- Colors: Red, white, and blue
- Home Facility: Bender Arena
- Athletic Director: JM Caparro
- University President: Jonathan Alger
Patriot League
American competes in the Patriot League, which is located in the Northeast Region and is comprised of 10 private institutions for higher education.
It is among the most selective group of higher education institutions in the NCAA Division I.
The Eagles have earned four Patriot League titles since joining the conference in 2001, most recently in March 2025.
2025 Patriot League Champions
On March 12, 2025, the Eagles clinched the Patriot League Championship title for the first time since 2014, earning an NCAA Tournament berth. American beat Navy in a sold-out Bender Arena, coming away with a dominant 74-52 win.
Three Eagles — Matt Rogers, Colin Smalls, and Greg Jones — were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team. Matt Rogers was named Patriot League Tournament MVP after scoring a game-high 25 points.
American played Mount St. Mary's in the NCAA First Four on March 19. Though the Eagles lost 83-72, they set a new standard for the program.
HEAD COACH Duane Simpkins
- Nationally recognized coach and legendary DMV basketball star Duane Simpkins will enter his third season as head coach of the American University men’s basketball team in 2025-26.
- In just his second year, Simpkins led the Eagles to a historic season, winning the 2024-25 Patriot League Championship and earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. American finished 22-13 overall and 13-5 in the Patriot League, matching the program’s all-time record for league wins in a season. The championship was clinched on the Eagles’ home floor at Bender Arena in front of a packed house, capping off a season in which AU led the Patriot League in home attendance for the first time in over a decade.
- The 2024-25 campaign also saw the Eagles break their own program record for made three-pointers with 299 on the season. Under Simpkins' leadership, the team embraced an up-tempo, modern style of play and re-energized the fan base with its high-effort, high-character identity.
- Individually, Simpkins earned national recognition, landing on the watchlists for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, the Ben Jobe Award, and the ABIS Mid-Major Coaches Watchlist.
- He coached two-time All-Patriot League First Teamer Matt Rogers for his final season, one in which Rogers earned Patriot League Tournament MVP honors. Also earning All-PL recognition in Simpkins' second season was Elijah Stephens (All-PL Third Team) and Greg Jones (All-PL Defensive Team).
- In his first season at the helm, Simpkins guided AU to a 16-16 record and a tie for second place in the Patriot League, despite multiple key injuries in the second half of the year. The team set a new program record with 279 three-pointers that season and earned a signature win at Colgate to close the regular season, snapping one of the nation’s longest winning streaks.
- Over his first two seasons, Simpkins has coached multiple All-Patriot League selections including Matt Rogers, Elijah Stephens, Greg Jones, and Matt Mayock, and has continued to emphasize academic success. The program has earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award in both of his seasons so far, and has seen numerous players recognized on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll while getting both Matt Rogers (2024) and Lincoln Ball (2025) named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team.
- He joined American after eight seasons on the coaching staff at George Mason, where he helped guide the Patriots to multiple program bests within the Atlantic 10, including an 11-win A-10 campaign and a 20-13 overall finish in 2022-23. Simpkins also served on the A-10 Commission on Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the George Mason Athletics Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
- A DMV basketball legend, Simpkins earned McDonald’s High School All-America honors at DeMatha Catholic under Hall of Fame coach Morgan Wootten. He was a three-time All-ACC Honorable Mention selection at the University of Maryland and helped lead the Terrapins to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16 runs. He ranks eighth all-time in assists at Maryland with 483.
- Following college, Simpkins enjoyed a successful professional playing career that spanned the U.S., China, Italy, France, Belgium, and the Dominican Republic.
- Simpkins and his wife Kirsten have three children – Kai, Darian, and Elijah.
associate HEAD COACH Nate Bollinger
- Nate Bollinger, promoted to Associate Head Coach following American's Patriot League Championship season in 2024-25, joined head coach Duane Simpkins' staff in April of 2023.
- Bollinger serves as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, specifically working with the team's guards. He also serves as the program's recruiting coordinator while coordinating non-conference scheduling and overseeing the team's academic progress. He was named to the 2024 100 Rising Stars: Men's Mid Major Assistants list.
- In his second year, the Eagles made a historic run, winning the 2024-25 Patriot League Championship and earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. American finished 22-13 overall and 13-5 in the Patriot League, matching the program’s all-time record for league wins in a season. The championship was clinched on the Eagles’ home floor at Bender Arena in front of a packed house, capping off a season in which AU led the Patriot League in home attendance for the first time in over a decade. The team hit a program-record 299 three-pointers, and ranking third in the PL with 8.5 three-pointers made per game.
- Three Eagles earned postseason honors, with Matt Rogers earning All-PL First Team recognition, point guard Elijah Stephens earning All-PL Third Team, and sophomore Greg Jones being named to the PL All-Defensive Team.
- In his first season as an assistant coach at American, the Eagles finished tied for second in the Patriot League, matching their third-highest regular season PL win total since 2012 with 10 wins, and had three All-Patriot League selections. American was ranked in the top-120 offensively midway through his first season at AU before finishing with the second overall offense in the PL, and the Eagles were ranked 53rd nationally in three-pointers per game, 90th in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 88th in turnovers per game. American finished atop the PL in three-pointers made while ranking second in assists per game. American also hosted a Patriot League Quarterfinal game for the first time since 2020.
- On the academic side, the team finished with a 3.19 GPA in Bollinger's first season and improved it to 3.26 in his second. The Eagles earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award in both 2024 and 2025, with nine players earning Patriot League Academic Honor Roll distinctions in both seasons, while Rogers was named to the Patriot League All-Academic Team in 2024 and graduate student Lincoln Ball earned the same honor in 2025.
- Bollinger joined American from William & Mary where he spent four seasons serving as the program’s director of operations for two years before being promoted to assistant coach prior to the 2021-22 season.
- After two seasons of his collegiate career playing for Delaware Valley, Bollinger transferred to Millersville where he averaged 5.4 points per game in helping the Marauders to a 32-25 record with two trips to the conference tournament. Bollinger was a team captain for Millersville as a senior and finished his collegiate career with 989 points. He earned his bachelor's degree from Millersville in psychology in 2014.
Associate Head Coach Jackie Manuel
- Jackie Manuel, promoted to Associate Head Coach following American's Patriot League Championship season in 2024-25, joined head coach Duane Simpkins' staff in April of 2023.
- Manuel 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.
- In his second year, the Eagles made a historic run, winning the 2024-25 Patriot League Championship and earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. American finished 22-13 overall and 13-5 in the Patriot League, matching the program’s all-time record for league wins in a season. The championship was clinched on the Eagles’ home floor at Bender Arena in front of a packed house, capping off a season in which AU led the Patriot League in home attendance for the first time in over a decade.
- Sophomore Greg Jones was named to the Patriot League All-Defensive Team under Manuel's guidance, joining All-PL First Team honoree Matt Rogers and All-PL Third Team selection Elijah Stephens in earning postseason awards. American led the league in scoring defense at 67.7 points per game, also ranking 53rd among all teams in NCAA Division I.
- The Eagles led the Patriot League in scoring defense in 2024-25 at 67.7 points per game, ranking 53rd nationally, and AU ranked second in the PL in opponent three-point field-goal percentage at .313.
- In Manuel's first season as an assistant coach at American, the Eagles finished tied for second in the Patriot League, matching their third-highest regular season PL win total since 2012 with 10 wins. American had three All-Patriot League selections, and Manuel's defense finished the season ranked 66th nationally in scoring defense with a top-125 rebounding margin. Stephens was named to the Patriot League's All-Defensive Team. During the Patriot League season, the Eagles ranked second in the League allowing just 62.1 points per game, highlighted by a three-game stretch where AU allowed just 48 points per game.
- On the academic side, the team finished with a 3.19 GPA in Manuel's first season and improved it to 3.26 in his second. The Eagles earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award in both 2024 and 2025, with nine players earning Patriot League Academic Honor Roll distinctions in both seasons, while Rogers was named to the Patriot League All-Academic Team in 2024 and graduate student Lincoln Ball earned the same honor in 2025.
- Manuel came to Washington, D.C. after spending two seasons with UNC men’s basketball as the director of team and player development. His first season back with the men’s program saw him help the Tar Heels to another Final Four with a 29-10 record and an appearance in the national championship game.
- Manuel, a captain on North Carolina’s national championship team in 2005, played for the Tar Heels from 2001-05. He earned All-ACC Defensive team honors as a junior and a senior, and was Carolina’s Defensive Player of the Year and Most Inspirational Player in both 2004 and 2005.
- After Carolina he went on to play four seasons in the NBA Development League and one season in Miyazaki, Japan.
- He graduated from UNC in 2005 with a degree in African-American studies. A native of West Palm Beach, Fla., he was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
- Manuel and his wife Ronda, also a Carolina graduate, have two daughters, Ryann and Kameron, and a son, Jordan.
Assistant Coach Isaiah Tate
- Isaiah Tate joined Duane Simpkins' staff as an assistant coach in April of 2023, and was instrumental in helping lead the Eagles to their first Patriot League Championship in 11 years during the 2024-25 season.
- The Eagles finished 22-13 overall and 13-5 in the Patriot League in 2024-25, matching the program’s all-time record for league wins in a season. Three Eagles earned postseason honors, with Matt Rogers earning All-PL First Team recognition, point guard Elijah Stephens earning All-PL Third Team, and sophomore Greg Jones being named to the PL All-Defensive Team.
- Tate came to American from fellow Patriot League school Holy Cross, where he spent the 2022-23 season as the director of men’s basketball operations. While with the Crusaders, he was primarily responsible for serving as the team’s travel and video coordinator in addition to being heavily involved in recruiting efforts, scheduling and day-to-day office duties.
- He joined the Crusaders after spending two years with Simpkins as a graduate assistant at George Mason, and several years playing professionally in Spain, China, Finland, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
- Tate is a 2011 graduate of George Mason with a bachelor’s degree in health, fitness and recreation services. He played in 114 career games for the Patriots helping the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2011, and a Colonial Athletic Association Championship in 2008. Tate averaged 6.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game as a senior, while hitting 41.2 percent of his three-point attempts and helping George Mason to a victory over Villanova in the NCAA Tournament.
Anatomy of an AU Men's Basketball Practice
AU Athletics Virtual Tour
The future Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance
HELPFUL LINKS
- Fill out our Recruiting Questionnaire
- Follow AU Men's Basketball on Instagram
- Follow AU Men's Basketball on Twitter
- Follow AU Men's Basketball on Facebook
- The Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
American University is 90-acre, private institution located in the Tenleytown neighborhood. AU has eight schools and colleges: School of International Service, School of Arts and Sciences, Kogod School of Business, School of Communication, School of Professional and Extended Studies, School of Public Affairs, School of Education, and the Washington College of Law. For more information about our academic programs, click here.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
American University is located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. On the banks of the Potomac River, bordering both Maryland and Virginia, Washington D.C. is one of the most visited cities in the world. For more information about Washington, D.C. click here.
University Quick Facts
- Average class size: 23
- Student to Teacher Ratio: 12:1
- 70+ Undergraduate Degrees
- 150+ Student Clubs and Organizations
- Top-5 feeder schools to U.S. Foreign Service, Congressional Staff, and other governmental agencies
- #4 "Most Beautiful Urban Campus" by Best Choice Schools
- Acceptance rate is 29%, making AU "more selective" by U.S. News & World Report
- First university in the U.S. to be carbon neutral