Manny Diaz arrived at Duke as a coach who had failed to deliver during his time at Miami. Now, after two straight nine-win seasons and leading the Blue Devils to their first outright ACC title since 1962 last season, his stock is back on the rise.
This could very well be bad news for Duke if Diaz has another successful season, as ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg explains. In his look at coaches from the Power 4 who could be on the move after this season, he included the Duke head coach.
“After being forced out at Miami despite a 21-15 record so the school could hire Mario Cristobal, Diaz has taken the right steps to boost his profile. He oversaw a highly successful Penn State defense for two years and has delivered consecutive nine-win seasons at Duke,
which surprisingly won the ACC title last season. Duke has increased its commitment to football, and Diaz, 52, is a great fit there. But he also should have higher-profile opportunities, especially with a diverse background as an assistant.”
According to Rittenberg, one source inside the coaching industry said this about Diaz’s success at Duke.
“Look, you can win at Duke, you can win at a lot of places,” the source said.
Diaz and the Blue Devils open the 2026 season on Saturday in Wallace Wade Stadium against Tulane.
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Manny Diaz's stock rising after two nine-win seasons at Duke
