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Duke football coach Manny Diaz will return to Miami for the first time since being fired following the 2021 season. That dismissal was surrounded by controversy due to the Hurricanes shady courtship of Mario Cristobal.
Diaz was 21-15 across three seasons in Coral Gables, which included a 15-8 mark in his final two campaigns. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for him to hold onto his job.
Cries for Diaz’s replacement surfaced following early struggles in his final year, though a 5-1 finish to the season made the decision a bit more difficult.
Not knowing whether or not they actually wanted to fire their head coach, Miami began gauging interest from potential suitors. Most notably, they asked former Hurricane player Mario Cristobal about a move from Oregon back to the East Coast.
All the while, Manny Diaz was left in limbo.
If Cristobal said yes to an offer, Diaz would get the boot. If not, he’d remain the head coach.
Diaz was eventually fired when Cristobal opted to return to his alma mater with the goal of bringing “The U” back. It’s worked out thus far with the Hurricanes sitting at a perfect 8-0 in 2024.
Diaz, meanwhile, has since landed at ACC rival, Duke, where he has the Blue Devils positioned at 6-2.
On Saturday, he’ll return to Hard Rock Stadium as an opponent. He was asked about that upcoming trip in his weekly press conference.
Manny Diaz on coming back to Miami this Saturday to face his former team as Duke’s head coach:
“I’m at peace. I’ve moved on.”
Says he still has a place in south Florida and visits often.
(🎥 @DukeFOOTBALL) pic.twitter.com/ikojixZDoU
— Will Manso (@WillManso) October 29, 2024
“I’m at peace,” Diaz said of what transpired in Miami. “I’ve moved on… There are still people in the program who I know and have a lot of respect for… right now, this is about trying to get our football team to play a better game than we played against a top team a week ago.”
Duke fell in its most recent matchup to SMU, 28-27. Now, it faces a second straight undefeated ACC foe.
Manny Diaz has an opportunity to get Miami back for the way it treated him in 2021. And should he succeed, no one would blame him for gloating after the fact.
That doesn’t seem to be his main motivation at the moment. He’s focused on continuing to stack wins, no matter the opponent.