Manny Diaz was fired as Miami’s coach on Dec. 6, but it didn’t take long for him to find a new gig as Penn State announced Saturday that it has hired Diaz to be its new defensive coordinator. Diaz replaces Brent Pry, who left to become the new coach at Virginia Tech earlier this month.
“My family and I are so excited to come to Happy Valley and join the Penn State family,” said Diaz. “The opportunity to lead Linebacker U is an honor and I will work every day to uphold that tradition. Penn State’s defense has been among the nation’s best, both historically and under Coach Franklin. I will continue to pursue excellence with our defensive unit on a daily basis. I can’t wait to get on the field with this talented group, to get to know them, and to ultimately develop them as football players, students and young men. Penn State’s fans are the best in the country, and I look forward to seeing them this fall in Beaver Stadium!”
Diaz was 21-15 in his three years in Coral Gables, including a 7-5 record this season. Miami fired Diaz and hired Mario Cristobal from Oregon later that same day.
“We are thrilled to add Manny Diaz as our defensive coordinator,” said Penn State head coach James Franklin. “Manny is a veteran defensive play caller whose head coaching experience will bring tremendous value to our organization. He has an innovative approach to complement his extensive Xs & Os knowledge which he developed through his stops at multiple Power Five conferences. Manny’s defensive philosophy is in line with our scheme and will help in the transition with our current team. His defenses have been aggressive and led the country in several categories throughout his career. We are excited to have Manny and his family join us in Happy Valley!
Miami’s defense declined in each of Diaz’s three seasons as the head coach. He took over play-calling duties prior to this season, but the Hurricanes currently rank sixth in the ACC in defensive yards per play allowed at 5.40 heading into bowl seasons. Despite that, he has had plenty of success as a coordinator prior to taking over as the head man in Miami.
He was the school’s defensive coordinator from 2016-18, when it finished in the top three in the ACC in defensive yards per play allowed in each of the three seasons.
What does the hiring of Diaz mean for Penn State? Let’s break it down.
A big reset
There’s no doubt that Diaz is a capable defensive coordinator who has had plenty of success when he gets to focus solely on X’s and O’s. That’s exactly what he’ll be able to do at Penn State — a school with an established structure due to the length of time that Franklin has been in charge. Diaz will have to swallow his pride a little bit because he had built up his resume to a point where he was hired as a Power Five head coach, but what better place to rekindle his career than at a Big Ten East program with a proven track record of success?
We shouldn’t forget the three years that he struggled as Miami’s coach because the success he had was the reason he was retained after Mark Richt retired.
Recruiting advantages
While Diaz has that proven track record of success in the X’s and O’s department, college football is really about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s. That’s where Diaz will be a huge asset for Franklin.
Diaz has recruiting ties all over the southeast and, most recently, South Florida. Franklin’s primary challenge when he got the job at Penn State was to rebuild a roster decimated by NCAA sanctions, and he did it quicker than many imagined (due in part to those sanctions being lifted). Franklin hasn’t let up, though. The Nittany Lions currently rank sixth in the nation in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings for the 2022 recruiting cycle, which includes three players from the sunshine state.
With Diaz on the staff, expect Penn State’s presence in the southeastern part of the country to become more prevalent.
