PittsburghCane
Redshirt Freshman
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2017
- Messages
- 2,302
Experience
Manny has coached for 19 years. (Yes I know none are HC yrs keep reading), but, unlike many other coaches that start FCS, low FBS, HS, etc, Manny cut his teeth for 19 years at FBS schools exclusively.
He coached under Bobby Bowden at FSU from 98-99 (BCS Bowl teams [we hate them and him and Bowden failed a bunch but he won a bunch too]) and Micky Andrews (who's defense was number one in 98).
Coached under Chuck Amato from 2000-2005, who, if not very successful was a very respected coach at NC St. Coached LBs and S directly assisting an annually top 25 defense and 5 nfl draft picks.
His first DC gig at Middle Tennessee from 05-09' had his team lead the conference in sacks and tackle for loss twice, second nationally in TFL in 09. Overall, Diaz' unit produced 17 all-conference players during his time there and put up three of the top four fewest yards allowed averages at Middle Tennessee in its FBS era. Three draftees from these squads.
He did a double launch from here, using his success at Mid Ten to vault to the SEC with Dan Mullen and Mississippi St. and that success to his tenure at Texas. While Miss St. his defense ranked 22nd in scoring defense, 17th in rushing and 17th in tackles for loss. The season prior to his arrival. the defense finished 71st in scoring defense, 62nd in rushing defense and 89th in TFL. Mississippi State also finished ranked 13th in red zone defense (.73) and 22nd in turnovers forced (28) nationally this season. In his one season his free defensive style aided Pernell McPhee and Chris White in getting drafted.
Texas was Manny's low point, though was able to coach under another NC winning head coach in Mack Brown. Manny's philosophy never clicked in Texas and he was fired mid season in 2013. Yet this failure is major for two reasons:
1) His first major failure came at a different school thank god
2) Without it he would not found the missing ingredient to his secret sauce as a coach: https://247sports.com/Article/How-a-Texas-sized-failure-helped-reboot-Manny-Diazs-career-106656307/
From the above article - In the time following his exit from Austin, Diaz tried to define his “non-negotiables.” What he discovered is there are certain elements – mostly relating to toughness and tackling – that are necessary to putting together a quality defense. Diaz called toughness a 365-day program thing, which related to everything from players attending class to how they work in the weight room. From toughness, came the willingness to tackle.
It was also here were Manny first saw the offenses of today from Baylor, Oklahoma St and WVU, where the ball was spread, athletes flourished in space and defenses were get obliterated before his eyes. These failures spawned his usage of fast linebackers, physical defensive backs and the striker position, to provide positional ambiguity to allow most players not on the LOS to flourish (or at least be decent) against the pass.
Most importantly he saw the offenses of the future and WHAT OFFENSES SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
( I won't note draftee's here as it can be misconstrued from his failures and Texas being an NFL factory)
Lou Tech in 14' saw him coach under Lou Holtz son for a year. Diaz spent the 2014 season with the Bulldogs (9-5), overseeing a unit that finished 35th in total defense and 39th in scoring. Those marks were improvements from the 2013 season, when Louisiana Tech finished 70th in total defense and 61st in scoring. Another player benefited from Diaz' style of defense in Vernon Butler, who would jump from 4.5 TFL to 12.5 and eventually go in the first round to the Carolina Panthers.
Another year at Mississippi St brought more improvements for another desperate defense.
Coaching Mentality
Manny's presence around some very good to all time great coaches has been a fortune he has had that many others haven't. Coaching for Hall of Fame coaches (Current and Future) in Bowden, Brown and Richt I believe showed him how to be a CEO. How to manage the players, the media and the expectations. We all know FSU, Texas and Miami are win or go home crowds. To both win and fail at those stages gave him the do's and don'ts of coaching, what it takes to be a great team and what it takes to be a better coach. He know's what defenses need to succeed. He's proven that he can adapt his defense to whatever is necessary to win and is humble in that respect. And getting his *** whipped at Texas showed made him stronger and what kind of offense it will take to succeed in the current culture. Most importantly everywhere he has won he has seen a key consistency - Quarterback play and defense. Where he has one those deficiencies were true too. Are these mind blowing thoughts? Fugg no but I think a tenured, aggressive and humble coach will not only understand that but be hungry for just that, especially when hes seen as much as hes seen.
No HC experience but the right experience IMO. I am confident the defense will continue to thrive and doubly so that he will get the OC that matches him on the offensive side, someone aggressive, humble and knows how to get players that win and put those players in the best schemes to succeed.
Let's ride Canes fam.
Manny has coached for 19 years. (Yes I know none are HC yrs keep reading), but, unlike many other coaches that start FCS, low FBS, HS, etc, Manny cut his teeth for 19 years at FBS schools exclusively.
He coached under Bobby Bowden at FSU from 98-99 (BCS Bowl teams [we hate them and him and Bowden failed a bunch but he won a bunch too]) and Micky Andrews (who's defense was number one in 98).
Coached under Chuck Amato from 2000-2005, who, if not very successful was a very respected coach at NC St. Coached LBs and S directly assisting an annually top 25 defense and 5 nfl draft picks.
His first DC gig at Middle Tennessee from 05-09' had his team lead the conference in sacks and tackle for loss twice, second nationally in TFL in 09. Overall, Diaz' unit produced 17 all-conference players during his time there and put up three of the top four fewest yards allowed averages at Middle Tennessee in its FBS era. Three draftees from these squads.
He did a double launch from here, using his success at Mid Ten to vault to the SEC with Dan Mullen and Mississippi St. and that success to his tenure at Texas. While Miss St. his defense ranked 22nd in scoring defense, 17th in rushing and 17th in tackles for loss. The season prior to his arrival. the defense finished 71st in scoring defense, 62nd in rushing defense and 89th in TFL. Mississippi State also finished ranked 13th in red zone defense (.73) and 22nd in turnovers forced (28) nationally this season. In his one season his free defensive style aided Pernell McPhee and Chris White in getting drafted.
Texas was Manny's low point, though was able to coach under another NC winning head coach in Mack Brown. Manny's philosophy never clicked in Texas and he was fired mid season in 2013. Yet this failure is major for two reasons:
1) His first major failure came at a different school thank god
2) Without it he would not found the missing ingredient to his secret sauce as a coach: https://247sports.com/Article/How-a-Texas-sized-failure-helped-reboot-Manny-Diazs-career-106656307/
From the above article - In the time following his exit from Austin, Diaz tried to define his “non-negotiables.” What he discovered is there are certain elements – mostly relating to toughness and tackling – that are necessary to putting together a quality defense. Diaz called toughness a 365-day program thing, which related to everything from players attending class to how they work in the weight room. From toughness, came the willingness to tackle.
It was also here were Manny first saw the offenses of today from Baylor, Oklahoma St and WVU, where the ball was spread, athletes flourished in space and defenses were get obliterated before his eyes. These failures spawned his usage of fast linebackers, physical defensive backs and the striker position, to provide positional ambiguity to allow most players not on the LOS to flourish (or at least be decent) against the pass.
Most importantly he saw the offenses of the future and WHAT OFFENSES SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
( I won't note draftee's here as it can be misconstrued from his failures and Texas being an NFL factory)
Lou Tech in 14' saw him coach under Lou Holtz son for a year. Diaz spent the 2014 season with the Bulldogs (9-5), overseeing a unit that finished 35th in total defense and 39th in scoring. Those marks were improvements from the 2013 season, when Louisiana Tech finished 70th in total defense and 61st in scoring. Another player benefited from Diaz' style of defense in Vernon Butler, who would jump from 4.5 TFL to 12.5 and eventually go in the first round to the Carolina Panthers.
Another year at Mississippi St brought more improvements for another desperate defense.
Coaching Mentality
Manny's presence around some very good to all time great coaches has been a fortune he has had that many others haven't. Coaching for Hall of Fame coaches (Current and Future) in Bowden, Brown and Richt I believe showed him how to be a CEO. How to manage the players, the media and the expectations. We all know FSU, Texas and Miami are win or go home crowds. To both win and fail at those stages gave him the do's and don'ts of coaching, what it takes to be a great team and what it takes to be a better coach. He know's what defenses need to succeed. He's proven that he can adapt his defense to whatever is necessary to win and is humble in that respect. And getting his *** whipped at Texas showed made him stronger and what kind of offense it will take to succeed in the current culture. Most importantly everywhere he has won he has seen a key consistency - Quarterback play and defense. Where he has one those deficiencies were true too. Are these mind blowing thoughts? Fugg no but I think a tenured, aggressive and humble coach will not only understand that but be hungry for just that, especially when hes seen as much as hes seen.
No HC experience but the right experience IMO. I am confident the defense will continue to thrive and doubly so that he will get the OC that matches him on the offensive side, someone aggressive, humble and knows how to get players that win and put those players in the best schemes to succeed.
Let's ride Canes fam.
