
When Duke hired Manny Diaz to replace Mike Elko, the decision was questioned in some circles. Most notably, the sports staff at a North Carolina newspaper, who like to think they know something about football, opined that the decision had the potential for disaster.
Replacing the plain-spoken, aw shucks Elko with Diaz, the son of a former mayor of Miami who learned the art of political charm growing up, seemed like a poor fit. Diaz, opined one writer who likes to think he’s clever, seemed like the type of coach who would use your first name three times in the first sentence he speaks after meeting you—clearly a departure from the lineage of Cutcliffe and Elko that rebuilt Duke football.
Consider this a retraction. And an apology. And an announcement that Manny Diaz is the North State Journal’s 2024 Coach of the Year.
With a Gator Bowl matchup against Ole Miss still to play, Diaz has already topped Elko’s win total from last season—which earned him the Texas A&M head coaching job, and matched Elko’s winningest year at Duke. Cutcliffe only had two seasons with as many wins. He’s matched the highest single-season win total of the stadium namesake—hall of famer Wallace Wade, and he’s won more games in a season than Steve Spurrier, Bill Murray or Eddie Cameron ever did.
With a win in the Gator Bowl, Diaz will give Duke just its second 10-win season ever.
Diaz did it with his specialty—defense. The longtime coordinator took over a D that was one of the league’s best under Elko and brought it to another level. Duke is second in the nation in tackles for loss and turnovers forced. The Blue Devils rank in the top five in fumbles recovered, sacks and blocked punts. While leading the ACC in pass defense and red zone defense.
That doesn’t mean Diaz shirked the offense. Duke has an explosive big-play ability not seen in recent Blue Devil teams. Quarterback Maalik Murphy, brought in by Diaz via the transfer portal, set a team record for touchdown passes in a season.
Getting the talent is one thing. Getting them to all play together is another thing entirely. Diaz’s Blue Devils showed a toughness and fight that were often the difference in winning and losing. Duke won six games by one score or less, breaking an 86-year-old school record. The Blue Devils also tied a school record with four comeback wins after trailing in the fourth quarter or overtime.
“Our guys believe that’s our quarter,” Diaz said after one such win. “We can catch you. You can’t catch us.”
The season-defining comeback was from 20-0 down against North Carolina—the largest second-half rally in school history.
“I told them at halftime, ‘We have a chance to do something legendary,’” coach Manny Diaz said. “But it would require all of our belief in ourselves and each other. Especially since there wasn’t a lot of evidence in the first half that we were capable of that. … “I thought we could dominate the fourth quarter. I thought we got stronger as the game went on, and they went in the other direction.”
So, Diaz can build tough teams with stout defenses and explosive offenses. He can win close games. There’s also the recruiting trail, and that’s where his slick, political side you might have read about comes in handy.
When Murphy left following the regular season to seek a better deal in the transfer portal, Diaz had his next quarterback on campus within days, and shortly after hanging out with the Cameron Crazies at a basketball game—a visit Diaz also made immediately after his hire—Tulane’s Darian Mensah signed on to replace Murphy.
Diaz also worked the traditional recruiting trail, signing a 27-man class in December that included a trio of four-star recruits—one he flipped from Clemson and another he beat out Penn State to sign. Diaz landed a class just outside of the national top 30 and the best of any North Carolina school. By many measures, it might be the best signing day in Duke football history.
Of course, whether it’s signing day accolades, coach of the year awards or just proving a wisenheimer media critic wrong, don’t look for Diaz to dwell on his success.
“We want everyone to come in and never rest laurels on what you’ve done in the past.,” he said. “The past doesn’t matter. What’ll you do in the future? Doesn’t matter if you’re the quarterback, left guard or will linebacker. Who are you today?”