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Diaz is an excellent coach, no doubt. But a big part of the reason he was so successful with PSU was our defensive personnel. We had the talent at DB to allow a very aggressive style of defense in the front 7 to be wildly successful, along with a crazy fast edge rush. Not every team has those components. The knock on Diaz's style is that it's high risk, high reward. We didn't give up a ton of big plays, our talent mitigated the risk pretty much all season except for vs. Indiana. We certainly saw the upside in pressures, TFLs, sacks, etc. That amount of success isn't easily replicable, especially at Duke.
Agreed. He did a nice job. The kids seemed to love playing for him. I wonder if he made the right call. Some PSU podcaster had a guest from Florida who was not complimentary of Diaz as a head coach. He was not getting commits from South Florida while at Miami. Said high school coaches down there hated him. Maybe he learned a thing or two from James and will be better this time. Not sure that Duke is a good job even though Elko had some success. Lower expectations than Miami, so maybe not bad from that standpoint.Good luck to him. He did a nice job at PSU. I wish they would hire someone who might hang around for more than a year or two. Maybe promote from within.
Agreed, the talent on this defense was championship level.Diaz is an excellent coach, no doubt. But a big part of the reason he was so successful with PSU was our defensive personnel. We had the talent at DB to allow a very aggressive style of defense in the front 7 to be wildly successful, along with a crazy fast edge rush. Not every team has those components. The knock on Diaz's style is that it's high risk, high reward. We didn't give up a ton of big plays, our talent mitigated the risk pretty much all season except for vs. Indiana. We certainly saw the upside in pressures, TFLs, sacks, etc. That amount of success isn't easily replicable, especially at Duke.
With all of the changes in coaching and playing personnel during the Portal Era tsunami Manny was FAR AND AWAY our greatest addition.
Chop is awesome. Ebiketie was a huge get. But Manny gave us a chance in every game and more time to complain about the Offense. Our D was good under Pry, but you didn't see posters clamoring for his return. Maybe he will be available in 2-3 years after the next hire moves up and he is no longer HC @ Red Neck Tech?
Manny will be a hard act to follow. Maybe we see him in U Park again in a different role?
Congrats to him. Turn the page.
Yeah. Unfortunately, at top programs that is hard to do. Every top program has the same issue with coordinators. If they are successful, they quickly move to a HC job.Good luck to him. He did a nice job at PSU. I wish they would hire someone who might hang around for more than a year or two. Maybe promote from within.
You are correct about Pry. I didn’t miss him at all. The gap between Diaz and Pry is hugely in favor of Diaz.
Diaz had great talent as head coach at Miami. He failedDiaz is an excellent coach, no doubt. But a big part of the reason he was so successful with PSU was our defensive personnel. We had the talent at DB to allow a very aggressive style of defense in the front 7 to be wildly successful, along with a crazy fast edge rush. Not every team has those components. The knock on Diaz's style is that it's high risk, high reward. We didn't give up a ton of big plays, our talent mitigated the risk pretty much all season except for vs. Indiana. We certainly saw the upside in pressures, TFLs, sacks, etc. That amount of success isn't easily replicable, especially at Duke.
I found that podcast to be ridiculous. Dude impressed me only as a John Cougar Mellenkamp impersonator (that's me in the comment section), trashing Manny, and cliaming he'd be easy to replace. Yeah, OK. Arguably the best two year stretch of defense since when? I came up with '85-'86 teams that went 1-1 in National Championship games. Maybe there's a more recent 2 year stretch of defense, but I can't think of one. Seemed like a hack hit job to me.Agreed. He did a nice job. The kids seemed to love playing for him. I wonder if he made the right call. Some PSU podcaster had a guest from Florida who was not complimentary of Diaz as a head coach. He was not getting commits from South Florida while at Miami. Said high school coaches down there hated him. Maybe he learned a thing or two from James and will be better this time. Not sure that Duke is a good job even though Elko had some success. Lower expectations than Miami, so maybe not bad from that standpoint.
Anyway, Franklin should be able to find someone decent to step in. There's something to be said for continuity, but Nick Saban loses coordinators all the time because they are successful.
Those were my Junior and Senior years at PSU. We won woth D. My dad came up for a lot of games and used to get on our case pretty bad for tailgating hard and more than once not even going inside the stadium.I found that podcast to be ridiculous. Dude impressed me only as a John Cougar Mellenkamp impersonator (that's me in the comment section), trashing Manny, and cliaming he'd be easy to replace. Yeah, OK. Arguably the best two year stretch of defense since when? I came up with '85-'86 teams that went 1-1 in National Championship games. Maybe there's a more recent 2 year stretch of defense, but I can't think of one. Seemed like a hack hit job to me.
Well, honestly CJF deserves much of the credit for recruiting - Manny was able to step in and be successful immediately as the talent was already there.Agreed, the talent on this defense was championship level.
No I think his analysis was spot on and that’s not a knock at Diaz at all.Please.
I’m not so sure about thatDiaz had great talent as head coach at Miami. He failed
I wish him the best, but Duke?
No I think his analysis was spot on and that’s not a knock at Diaz at all.
I really loved reading thatThose were my Junior and Senior years at PSU. We won woth D. My dad came up for a lot of games and used to get on our case pretty bad for tailgating hard and more than once not even going inside the stadium.
Trips out at halftime also often hit the point of no return too. I did not see one snap of our 42-0 W over Don McPherson and Cuse...but I met a really nice girl. We were making out at a tailgate where one of the acoustic guys who played Happy Hours- maybe Randy Hughes- was on top of a Winnebago. I asked him to play Alison by Elvis Costello as that was the young lassies name.
Then everything went black. It was my 6'5 235 lb ex-Marine fathers hand covering my drunken eyes as a joke. My sister was up from Wake and saw the game. My mom was wearing her little blue blazer with the bank button and khaki skirt. She didn't say a word. There was one of my sisters friends from our town who was at State.
"You idiots don't know what your missing!"
We stupidly ASSumed that PSU would always be great and compete for National Championships....
The next season Cuse would kick our ass at the Dome for their first win over us since Floyd Little.
Just another thing that the Old Man was right about.
RIP
My thought exactly! Well, if it doesn't work out for him at Duke, maybe James can convince him to make it a career as a DC at PSU?Good luck to him. He did a nice job at PSU. I wish they would hire someone who might hang around for more than a year or two. Maybe promote from within.