Manny Diaz explains why he took the Temple job and why he’s coaching in UM’s bowl game
The University of Miami on Thursday launched a national search as it begins the difficult task of replacing the architect of one of the nation’s best defenses.
But the Hurricanes will have Manny Diaz for one more game. And they’ll have the turnover chain well beyond that, presuming they want to keep it.
On a day when Diaz was introduced as head coach of the Temple Owls, Diaz said he will coach the Hurricanes’ defense in the Dec. 27 Pinstripe Bowl against Wisconsin at Yankee Stadium. In the coming days, he will recruit for Temple, with the early recruiting signing period beginning Wednesday.
“As of right now, my plan after recruiting is done is I will coach the Pinstripe Bowl for the University of Miami,” Diaz said at a news conference inside Temple’s basketball arena in Philadelphia. “I felt like I owed it to those kids to finish what we started this year. We have an amazing thing going and those are special guys, and I want to be with them one more time.
“For me to do my duty as a coach is work with these young men. My job there is unfinished and we have one more chance to work together in New York. I can’t wait for that.”
Asked about whether the turnover chain will accompany him to Philadelphia, he said: “The turnover chain I think will always belong to the University of Miami. That was never about me to begin with; that’s a Miami thing and part of the culture now. That’s not to say there may not be something that fits Philadelphia. Players like to have incentive. We have nine months to figure it out.”
In the meantime, Mark Richt said in a statement that UM has “launched a national search for a new defensive coordinator and we have already received great interest from around the country. Our football program, our university and our facilities are among the best in the country, and coaches want to be a part of something special.”
Richt said about Diaz’s discussions with Temple: “Manny had been very transparent about the opportunity with both myself and [athletic director] Blake James.
“In his three years in Coral Gables, Manny proved to be one of the top assistant coaches in the country and did an unbelievable job leading our defense. I have no doubt that he will experience great success as a head coach and we wish him [and his family] all of the best.”
Diaz, who got a five-year contract from Temple, said he took the job because “Temple wins. It wins academically. It wins athletically. To be from the outside it was obvious. There are different men coming through here and they’re all having success, you don’t really know what the formula is but you know there’s something special going on.”
Speaking of UM, Diaz said: ““Obviously, we’re so excited to be there but we have a lot of great friends there and on our staff. Mark Richt is a great man who’s going to win big at the University of Miami. There’s a lot of great players in that locker room. This program established is bigger than any one person. Myself and the guys on the defensive staff were humbled we had an opportunity to play defense at the University of Miami standard. It’s nothing we invented. It’s been going on there since I got into coaching. I know those guys will be fine in the future.”
Diaz, who inherits an 8-4 team, didn’t rule out taking UM assistants with him. Two UM assistants — safeties coach Ephraim Banda and outside linebackers coach Jon Patke — coached with Diaz at previous jobs.
“It depends,” Diaz said. “We have to see what’s going on down there and who’s the best fit. Certainly, anybody has the opportunity to go wherever they want to go to.”
The notion of Diaz one day coaching the Hurricanes isn’t inconceivable. UM already took one coach from Temple in Al Golden, and Temple just lost Geoff Collins to Georgia Tech.
Asked about the prospect of losing Diaz to another job, athletic director Pat Kraft said: “If I’m sitting there hugging Coach Diaz in the Fiesta Bowl and he tells me ‘My dream job is open I’m going to go,’ I’ll say go get it and we’ll be right back here bringing in the next best coach. This is a great program.”
UM has lost four non-binding recruiting commitments since Diaz left — Class of 2019 four-star defensive back Jarvis Brownlee and Miami Northwestern three-star defensive end Samuel Brooks and Class of 2020 defensive backs Keshawn Washington and Jaidon Francois.
This story was originally published December 13, 2018 at 5:30 PM.
