forums

Manny Diaz: The Problem Solver

L A M P

L A M P

Reformed Mope
Premium
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
15,997
Listening to TROB get all up in some DB's business got me hyped.. it also got me thinking about how quietly, steadily, Manny is fixing some of the fanbases biggest gripes one at a time.

He can be slow to learn but he's also quick to act.

The last 15 years, we've asked for a few common changes:

- Attacking Defense. Play Fast​
- Run the Spread. Mobile QB.​
- Dependable Kicker/Punter​
- Local Coaches who understand culture​
- Recruit kids who want to be here​
- Make staff adjustments when needed​


Might be overlooking a few & not all of the above are perfect.. but Manny has addressed most of these. Still need to win but looking forward to better days 🍻
 
Last edited:
Advertisement
L A M P said:
Listening to TROB get all up in some DB's business got me hyped.. it also got me thinking about how quietly, steadily, Manny is fixing some of the fanbases biggest gripes one at a time.

He can be slow to learn but he's also quick to act.

The last 15 years, we've asked for a few common changes:

- Attacking Defense. Play Fast​
- Run the Spread. Mobile QB.​
- Dependable Kicker/Punter​
- Local Coaches who understand culture​
- Recruit kids who want to be here​


Might be overlooking a few & not all of the above are perfect.. but Manny has addressed most of these. Still need to win but looking forward to better days 🍻
Click to expand...
Great points. Beyond that, I'm encouraged by the fact that he's been quick to fire / demote bad staff - something that Golden and Richt didn't do which (among other things) led to their demise.

Fired Enos after 1 year, then demoted Baker the next. Moved Rumph to a different position to bring in TROB / DVD for DBs.

Like you said, ultimately it needs to translate to wins but the signs are encouraging and cause for cautious optimism.
 
My2Sense said:
Great points. Beyond that, I'm encouraged by the fact that he's been quick to fire / demote bad staff - something that Golden and Richt didn't do which (among other things) led to their demise.

Fired Enos after 1 year, then demoted Baker the next. Moved Rumph to a different position to bring in TROB / DVD for DBs.

Like you said, ultimately it needs to translate to wins but the signs are encouraging and cause for cautious optimism.
Click to expand...
Great point. Making staff adjustments should be on the list. Will edit to reflect that!
 
Advertisement
He's made all the right changes each off season even though he was the one who made the initial bad hires (Enos, Baker, Rumph, etc.). Which is awesome because it shows he's not too stubborn and truly wants to win here no matter what. However, at some point he will be the only guy left standing and only person he can blame will be himself. I hope Manny is the guy and still have confidence in him but this is a massive year for him.
 
Definitely has made wholesale changes, and for the better. Some will argue he should’ve started off with better hires but that point is moot now. We’re certainly in a better state than before and with the infusion of talent in the ‘20 - ‘22 classes that the future is looking brighter than in many years. It’s now the time to finish at minimum with 10-11 wins (including a bowl win) which would make it twice in the past 4yrs we’ve accomplished that since the early 2000’s.
 
A little luck will help to and can only be overcome with overwhelming talent which is currently reserved for 3-4 teams in the country I need not mention.

I am talking about things the coaches have little control over. Injuries being # 1, bad calls by refs, fluke turnovers.

Very good teams lose to good teams all the time. Watch UM vs PSU 1989 for evidence.
 
Cribby said:
Jury is out, it's sink or sink swim time.
Click to expand...
Yep. Here's my cautiously optimistic view of Manny: he is definitely improving things stem to stern, and he has proven he is willing to learn and show friends the door when the facts say that he should (unlike nearly every coach in the last 2 decades), but there is one area that he still needs improvement in for us to climb the next rung. He makes corrections and changes, but he changes too slowly.

Example: he should have released his buddy at DC and taken over for the bowl game. It was the best thing for his buddy, but it was not the best thing for the team. We barely lost the game even after losing D'eriq. Point is, after the historic level beat down by UNC and our terrible D coaching, he should have taken over for the bowl game instead of let things slide. He's done other things like that as well.

The good news is, all the coaches since Butch haven't even done the slow change thing and the results were obvious. I think he's done a good job overall and we are clearly headed in the right direction across the board, but we need him to be a bit more nimble when it comes time to make an obvious move.
 
Advertisement
Cribby said:
Jury is out, it's sink or sink swim time.
Click to expand...
Well, listening to Rambo, Stevenson, Harris, Harley and other veterans there is a much different tone and sense of urgency and maturity we have lacked for a long, long time. This is not a perfect team by any stretch, but it is a very good one on paper. This is the best coaching staff in 16 years. My question is when we get punched in the mouth are we going to hit the mat or get up and bunch back, especially against the big boys? Winning is a learned activity.
 
I’ll add (especially for this year as he is the DC), his propensity to adjust after halftime. How many times under prior staffs did we have to endure 4 quarters of an issue that shows itself early in the game with no adjustment? Obviously would like to see this team start games with more focus and energy, but always feels good when you know that even a bad start can get corrected on the fly.
 
Back
Top