Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz may be nearing a promotion elsewhere.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Diaz is “the focus” of Duke’s search for a head coach to replace Mike Elko. Thamel said Thursday morning that a decision is expected within the next 24 hours.
Sources: Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has emerged as the focus of Duke’s head coaching search. A decision is expected in the next 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/f9p1RS4Ta3
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 7, 2023
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After two decades as a college football assistant coach, Diaz landed his first head-coaching gig with Miami in 2019. The Hurricanes went 21-15 with a pair of bowl losses during three seasons before turning to Mario Cristobal.
Diaz has spent the last two years fortifying Penn State as a defensive dynamo.
The Nittany Lions went 11-2 with the 10th-fewest points allowed in 2022 before taking another step forward. Penn State allowed an FBS-low 223.3 yards per game and 3.91 yards per play this season.
For the second straight year, James Franklin’s team beat everybody on the schedule against Ohio State and Michigan, the only schools to allow fewer points than Penn State in 2023. The Nittany Lions held the Buckeyes and Wolverines to 20 and 24 points, respectively, in their losses.
After going 16-9 in two seasons with Duke, Elko will take Jimbo Fisher’s old job at Texas A&M. The Blue Devils, who relinquished 19.8 points per game this season, could replace one former defensive coordinator with another.
Diaz’s ACC experience predates his time at Miami. He started coaching as a Florida State graduate assistant in 1998 before spending six years coaching linebackers, safeties, and special teams at NC State.