forums

Great Article on the Diaz tenure by Vish

Advertisement
seems more of a slam piece than a recollection of events, not saying most of it isn't deserved though

in the second paragraph I disagree with his sentiment that the fans didn't like manny's defense

"who had already worn the fans’ patience thin as Defensive Coordinator would always have a short leash"

Nobody, absolutely nobody was upset with Manny's D at THAT time, it was the only thing right with our program and brought us from the depths of **** of No'D and a top 5 defense in almost every important category.


I believe Temple was still more of Manny's level though and hiring him was amateur hour from blake. This shouldn't be anyones first job. Should have hired cristobal with manny going to temple
 
I think a lot of us gave Blake/Diaz the benefit of the doubt, even after the year one losses to FIU and LaTech. Season 2 was an improvement but still you could see he just didn't have the experience to run things well both on and off the field.

To me, this season was the perfect opportunity for Diaz to plant his flag as THE coach of Miami football for the next decade - veteran/experienced starters, relatively easy schedule (other than Bama), completely open Coastal, Clemson down year for ACC title. Everything was in our favor this season. And to go 7-5 with losses to UVA, UNC and FSU - with all three of those games being poorly managed - well that just won't do.

More importantly, the we were within a few plays of also losing to Pitt, NC State, GaTech and App State. So the "what if's..." around Diaz flipping those three losses are outweighed by the 4 other games we nearly lost this season as well. 7-5 very easily could have been 3-9 or 4-8.

Diaz was/is a good man. He meant well, but the last 3 minutes of the FSU game was the final straw for me. High school coaches wouldn't have made those mistakes and in that manner.
 
Perfectly written from a fan’s perspective.

Hopefully someone from outside Miami reads this to see how it actually was, instead of “the team finished 5-1 despite a bunch of injuries.”
 
407cane said:
seems more of a slam piece than a recollection of events, not saying most of it isn't deserved though

in the second paragraph I disagree with his sentiment that the fans didn't like manny's defense

"who had already worn the fans’ patience thin as Defensive Coordinator would always have a short leash"

Nobody, absolutely nobody was upset with Manny's D at THAT time, it was the only thing right with our program and brought us from the depths of **** of No'D and a top 5 defense in almost every important category.


I believe Temple was still more of Manny's level though and hiring him was amateur hour from blake. This shouldn't be anyones first job. Should have hired cristobal with manny going to temple
Click to expand...

But if you really think about it.. if Blake hires Mario so many things never happen. Mario is never out on the west coast recruiting like a monster and winning PAC12 titles. Blake James makes a popular hire and probably has a job today. The boosters aren't currently fed up to the point of throwing out fvck you money to win. And now there is no big name splash hire that the boosters would be willing to dump the cash on. Mario may have won up to this point, but football most likely never gets the kind of cash injection its about to get.

In 10 years we may look back on Manny as a necessary evil in a way. Someone you didn't know you needed until it all works out.
 
Advertisement
Actually - let me add something else to my previous post. Most fans weren't even asking Diaz to be perfect this season. People I talked to were simply asking for 1) respectable LOSS to Alabama, 2) 9-3 or 10-2 regular season, 3) beat down FSU, 4) win the coastal. None of those four things happened, not even a respectable Bama loss. That short list was absolutely doable this season. We didn't even come close!
 
soddyCane said:
But if you really think about it.. if Blake hires Mario so many things never happen. Mario is never out on the west coast recruiting like a monster and winning PAC12 titles. Blake James makes a popular hire and probably has a job today. The boosters aren't currently fed up to the point of throwing out fvck you money to win. And now there is no big name splash hire that the boosters would be willing to dump the cash on. Mario may have won up to this point, but football most likely never gets the kind of cash injection its about to get.

In 10 years we may look back on Manny as a necessary evil in a way. Someone you didn't know you needed until it all works out.
Click to expand...
**** of a perspective. I really like the Mario hire, don’t love it. But, when you step back and describe it like you did, it is great. Having the boosters fed up is key
 
407cane said:
seems more of a slam piece than a recollection of events, not saying most of it isn't deserved though

in the second paragraph I disagree with his sentiment that the fans didn't like manny's defense

"who had already worn the fans’ patience thin as Defensive Coordinator would always have a short leash"

Nobody, absolutely nobody was upset with Manny's D at THAT time, it was the only thing right with our program and brought us from the depths of **** of No'D and a top 5 defense in almost every important category.


I believe Temple was still more of Manny's level though and hiring him was amateur hour from blake. This shouldn't be anyones first job. Should have hired cristobal with manny going to temple
Click to expand...
AD0C4958-3073-48B2-B9C5-F9191E6C4A2B.webp

I beg to differ
 
Great article.
The nature of his hire, without a search, and his history of being on Miami’s previous staff, demanded quick success.
Click to expand...
I made a similar point in another thread. Ironically his buddy Blake set him up for failure. Manny was unqualified for the job in the first place, but hiring him less than 24 hours after promising the fans a national search ensured that it would be an uphill battle to win over the fans. And then losing to FIU, Duke, and LA Tech in the same season cemented his fate.
 
Advertisement
Eh, this man said this not more than 6 months ago about Manny Diaz in an article full of slop:

"Say what you will about Diaz, but no one will ever accuse me of being a member of that club. From inventing the Turnover Chain, to giving players multiple chances within reason, Diaz has exhibited that blend of sternness, empathy, and freedom that allows players to be themselves while also looking out for their well being."

www.fivereasonssports.com

Manny Diaz's Date With Destiny – Five Reasons Sports Network

In a way, Manny Diaz embodies everything about Miami generally, and Miami football, specifically. The eponymously named son of a former mayor of Cuban descent enters a pivotal third year as captain of Miami’s ship with the daunting task of arresting a 20-year slide and restoring one of college...
www.fivereasonssports.com www.fivereasonssports.com

He's just ex post facto'ing his takes now.
 
BOOM! This is the perfect description of the Diaz era.

That will be the legacy of Manny Diaz football. Exciting games that ended up close because the Canes mostly superior talent kept them in games, while Diaz’s coaching and lack of preparation made sure that talent advantage was mitigated. All told, Diaz leaves Miami with a collection of several of the worst losses in school history.
 
Great article.
Can't blame Manny for accepting his dream job. He meant well but was clearly in over his head and it showed up come game day. While he did make some staff changes, his arrogance kept him from being self aware of his own limitations and the changes he needed to make in order to give himself a chance at succeeding.
Glad the decision was made to move on from him & Blake and stop going for the cheap hire. Looking forward to better days and years ahead.
 
Back
Top