Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Manuel gained notoriety as a defensive specialist for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2001 to 2005.

[5] After a one-year stint at UNC, Manuel joined former North Carolina teammate Wes Miller's coaching staff at UNC-Greensboro for the 2012–2013 season.

Manuel joined the UNC women's basketball staff as Director of Player Personnel, Development and Recruiting Operations in September 2020.

On April 13, 2021, head coach Courtney Banghart posted a tweet indicating Manuel was leaving the UNC women's team to pursue other opportunities.

[6] On April 15, 2021, Manuel was announced as the Director of Player and Team Development for Hubert Davis' inaugural North Carolina coaching staff.

[9] On November 28, 2007, Manuel's brother, Donta, a thirteen-year veteran of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, was killed while he was removing stop sticks from a roadway during a police chase.