Slowly but surely, more and more people are starting to come around to the idea of Manny Diaz being a fantastic head coach. While he was not taken by either Andy Staples or Ari Wasserman in their top 20 current college football head coaches draft, Diaz will get there eventually. How do we know this? Well, look at where his predecessor, Mike Elko, came off the board in Staples and Wasserman's draft.
Wasserman took the former Duke head coach now leading Texas A&M with the No. 10 overall pick.
- Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti (Staples)
- Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart (Wasserman)
- Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day (Staples)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman (Wasserman)
- Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian (Staples)
- Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal (Wasserman)
- Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning (Staples)
- LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin (Wasserman)
- Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham (Staples)
- Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko (Wasserman)
To be fair, Diaz is still flying under the radar in the Power Four. Duke is not the same job as the ones occupied by all the head coaches listed above. However, Duke is not an easy place to win at. Elko did that before going back to College Station. To be frank, Diaz is winning at a higher clip than even his predecessor. This may not be sustainable at Duke long-term, but Diaz has strong coaching acumen.
Furthermore, Diaz cannot only continue to build up Duke in the extended wake of Elko's run in Durham, but he can establish his own legacy. He led the Blue Devils to their first ACC Championship on the gridiron this century. He may still have to overcome the wonkiness of how it ended for him at Miami over half a decade ago, but Diaz is on the precipice of making himself some big-time money.
If you want to check out the entire draft of head coaches made by the guys on On3, you sure can!
Of course, this could mean Diaz might have to leave Durham to achieve all he can as a head coach...
Nina King needs to make sure Manny Diaz can grow and prosper at Duke
Let's be really honest with ourselves here. There are a handful of jobs out there Diaz would leave Duke for if they opened up. The most notable one would be his alma mater of Florida State. The Seminoles have been cash-poor throughout much of Mike Norvell's time over in Tallahassee. If they open up the checkbook, Diaz could be on his way to his alma mater. Nina King needs to do her best to up the ante.
Duke is so fortunate to have a great athletic director. She has been in this role for a while now, as well as having been in the Duke athletic department for even longer. Under her guidance, Duke has been able to win at a prolifically high level in most revenue sports. Duke is the reigning ACC champion in college football, men's basketball, and women's basketball. Excellence can be forged here in Durham.
Overall, all it takes is one head coach to be different for everything to change. Elko and Steve Spurrier were different, but they were not for long in Durham. David Cutcliffe was different too, but he never got to the level of Spurrier or even the trajectory Elko is on. Diaz has enough time and equity on his side to be like the two great head coaches who left Duke after only a few years. So will he stay or go?
ALSO READ: Manny Diaz may have to lean on Nate Sheppard, Duke offense to repeat as ACC Champions
Ultimately, it is all going to come down to money and opportunity. King is doing everything in her power to make Duke a great place for coaches in all sports to thrive. Duke has a wealthy alumni base, but still has to overcome its mediocre football history. It may result in Diaz leaving. However, he could have staying power in Durham, much like what made Bill Snyder such a legend leading Kansas State.
As long as he focuses on the right things, Diaz could experience the same rise in clout as Elko has.
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