Miami Football: Hurricanes hand program over to Manny Diaz
By Dana Becker
Miami football didn’t have to look very far for a replacement for Mark Richt, as former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz returns to the school as the new head coach.
A little over two weeks ago, Diaz accepted the head coach position with Temple after serving under Richt this past season. However, when Richt retired Sunday, Diaz quickly returned home to lead “The U.”
“Miami is home. The University of Miami is home. The U has truly been ‘the job’ for me since I first got into coaching,” said Diaz in a school release. “Having worked here over the past three years, I came to understand what it means to be part of ‘The U’ and came to appreciate the passion and commitment to excellence of all who proudly call themselves Canes. We will restore the football program to its place among the nation’s elite and we will do it with hard work, dedicated coaches, and outstanding student-athletes. I’m excited about working with Blake and his team to make that happen.”
A few days ago after Miami was trounced by Wisconsin in the Pinstripe Bowl, 35-3, with Diaz serving as defensive coordinator, the new head coach posted on Twitter that he was “beyond excited to get to Philly & get around the players to form the same relationships we had with our guys down here.”
https://twitter.com/Coach_MannyDiaz/status/1078506556591882241
That said, I am beyond excited to get to Philly & get around the players to form the same relationships we had with our guys down here. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you hold yourself to a high standard and demand it of those around you. #TempleTUFF @Temple_FB
— Manny Diaz (@Coach_MannyDiaz) December 28, 2018
Diaz has yet to update his official Twitter account from Temple to Miami, showing in this day and age just how quickly the decision came to be. He served at Miami from 2016 to this past season with other stops at NC State, Mississippi State and Texas on his resume.
A native of Miami, the 44-year-old played for rival Florida State, where he began his coaching career in 1998. Diaz was later hired at Texas, only to be fired after a season on the job by new North Carolina head coach Mack Brown.
Temple athletic director Dr. Patrick Kraft, who hired Diaz to replace Geoff Collins, said the school is “disappointed that (Diaz) is leaving, but wish him the best as he returns home.” Kraft also stated a search has begun once again to find a new head coach.
A statement from our Director of Athletics, Dr. Patrick Kraft. pic.twitter.com/HcBUQJLNk0
— Temple Owls (@TempleOwls) December 31, 2018
dark. Next. NFL Mock Draft following Justin Hebert's decision
Collins left Temple for the head coach position at Georgia Tech, replacing Paul Johnson.