Duke quickly improved under Mike Elko. Now, it’s up to Manny Diaz to build on that success.
The former Miami head coach and Penn State defensive coordinator has taken over at Duke, a program that struggled during the final years of David Cutcliffe’s long and successful run but then won 16 games in two seasons under Elko.
Elko left for Texas A&M as the Blue Devils were getting ready for their bowl game. Diaz, who started his second stint as a head coach in December, previously coached the Hurricanes until he was fired in 2021 after three seasons.
“We all learn,” Diaz said. “I’ve never been the same defensive coordinator twice in my career. You’re always taking the lessons from the last year, the last season, the career, and applying it and trying to be a better person. No different as a coach than what you would expect and demand from your players.”
Diaz had a 21-15 record at Miami, including a 16-9 record in Atlantic Coast Conference games, which was second only to Clemson (22) in league wins.
He takes over a roster that lost seven offensive starters and eight defensive starters from last season. This includes four Associated Press all-ACC players, as well as quarterback Riley Leonard, who transferred to Notre Dame, and running back Jordan Waters, who transferred to North Carolina State.
Duke turned to the transfer portal to bring in 17 graduate transfers, including eight for the offensive line. This year’s team is expected to finish 11th in the expanded 17-team ACC.
“We’ve got an outstanding group of graduate transfers and instantly transformed our team from being very young, which in the past might have set you back for a few years,” Diaz said. “And we feel like now we’re poised to go again, and I think our players believe that as well.”
