Former Miami Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz hired by Penn State as defensive coordinator
Manny Diaz has landed on his feet in an impressive way.
Five days after being fired as the Miami Hurricanes football coach and replaced by new University of Miami coach Mario Cristobal, Diaz was announced Saturday morning as Penn State’s new defensive coordinator.
“My family and I are so excited to come to Happy Valley and join the Penn State family,” said Diaz in a Penn State release. “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!”
PSU coach James Franklin said the Lions “are thrilled’’ to add Diaz to its coaching roster.
“Manny is a veteran defensive play caller whose head coaching experience will bring tremendous value to our organization,’’ Franklin said. “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!”
Diaz replaces Brent Pry, the new Virginia Tech head coach.
Diaz, 47, finished 21-15 at UM in three seasons. Franklin, like many Power Five football coaches, loves South Florida football talent and Diaz’s connections to those coaches and players were a significant factor in his hiring, a source told the Miami Herald.
Diaz’s five-year UM contract ran through 2023, and his salary was not publicly disclosed because UM is a private school. But a UM athletic department administrator told the Miami Herald that Diaz was due to make between $6.5 million and $8 million combined over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, depending on if he met incentives. The source said if Diaz were fired and got another job, the amount owed to him would be offset by the salary of his new job; And if he remained unemployed from the time of his firing through the 2023 season, he would be owed more than half of what was left on his contract.
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 10:50 AM.
