Duke's new football coach, Manny Diaz, talks to Adam Gold

Cash prizes every day, adds up when you play at Pulse Casino. Puls.com, over 700 casino-style games and counting, and no terrible lounge singer, promise.

Hey, that's pretty mean. There's always a new reason to play. Cash prizes every day of the week. P-U-L-S-Z.com. Pulse in your pocket, you can play anywhere. P-U-L-S-Z.com. Manny Diaz is the next head coach at Duke University.

I could not be more excited to see him elevated to that position. He doesn't remember this, but we played golf a thousand years ago at some ACC event when he had, I guess, borrowed clubs, because I don't know how your clubs got lost in transit. You said they did on the first day. You weren't terrible, and you put up with us. So I thank you very much for that and for this. How you doing?

I'm doing well. That is impressive detail. And boy, those borrowed clubs probably had a rough outing, especially where my golf game was 20 years ago. Oh, man, I remember it was Charlie Whitehurst, I think was the quarterback at Clemson, hitting bombs. I think he was behind us. Yeah, we were on a green, and all of a sudden the ball came flying by.

He drove a par four. Quarterback's man. They got something in their hips. All right, let's get to this. Tell me what attracts you to the Duke job. Well, there's so many things, and the timing was perfect. I mean, obviously, if you look at the momentum and the success here in the last couple of years, that you really have an opportunity to capitalize on a movement of understanding that there's a locker room filled with really, really talented kids and the right type of kids, the kids that you want to coach. And then also, you know, having been in this conference for as long as I have, you know, you've always seen Duke from across the sideline and from afar and admired this program. And then so now it just comes down to the people. You know, there's a leadership right in place, the people on the staff, and the more and more I learned about that, the more excited I became.

Manny Diaz is joining us here, Duke University head football coach. What's job one for you? Like here today, first day? First, yeah, yeah.

What are you? Well, it already really happened. We had a Zoom last night with the players. You know, we had a Zoom last night with the commits, a Zoom last night with the players' parents. You know, in this era of college, well, the first thing you have to do is you've got to recruit your locker room. It's remarkable just how the world has changed just in the five years I became head coach at Miami. It's just it's completely, of course, based on that Zoom. But it's completely different with where we are in the calendar and what the month of December means to college football. It used to be used to be sort of quiet this time of year.

It is anything but. So you've got to jump right in the middle of it and and make sure we keep the momentum that we have going. What was the reaction that you got from the Duke locker room and the commits?

Well, you know, when you're now it is on Zoom, right? Right. A bunch of heads, you know. So, you know, hard, hard to really take a straw poll out of that. But but, you know, by all accounts, I think everybody's excited.

You know, certainly when you have a time of uncertainty, you know, there's always that wonder, you know, the question, who's it going to be? And by all accounts, you know, there's a lot of enthusiasm right now. And we've got to we've got to ride that wave and have ourselves a great offseason. I know you are a student of the game. I'm sure you bet you have seen some of what Duke was able to do this year. I thought when I saw them against Clemson in the first game of the season on that Monday night, what struck me was that they didn't look good for a Duke team. They looked good for any team. And I was stunned at how they looked just like Clemson looked. So when you I don't know if you saw that game or if you've seen film of that, but I don't know even if there's a question here other than is that what Duke's potential is for you? Oh, yeah.

I sat there and watched like most of America, you know, watched that game that night because, you know, it was a Monday night. Right. Often it's and let me take it one step further. It's not just what's going on the field. It was what was in the stadium as well. I mean, I mean, that was big time football. And then to your point, I agree.

It was it was not an upset. And not to surprise me, because, you know, you know, it starts a lot of things as do they start in your weight room? And David Seeley was our starting condition coach in Miami. And when he came here, I you could see the transformation in these young men, the more and more that they got around days. And then, you know, obviously it was an outstanding coaching staff. And, you know, you put those things together and you've got it yourselves, a quarterback, you got a chance. And then I think that's what's been so appealing to me to be able to have some of that continuity on our staff and to allow the players to know that what they built on doesn't get torn down.

We can build both on top of that. Manny Diaz is joining us. So it's always job one is job one day feeling that one's.

I was never taken care of. Yeah. I mean, I mean, he's he's so excited to be here. Love to hear, you know, was able to tell me so many fantastic things about this institution, the people here that that care about Duke.

And so that made the transition much easier for me. Manny Diaz is with us here. New Duke head football coach. I think a lot of us were surprised going into even last year and it was a very good year one. But I think a lot of us were surprised that there wasn't a an exodus out of the portal last year.

Now, we know that there have been players who have left, including the quarterback Riley Leonard. But there have been other players, key defensive pieces that have entered the portal as well. What does what is your job now with the portal?

What? You know, you're obviously selling some opportunity here because there is going to be opportunity. How does this how does this factor into everything you have to do now?

It's everything right. So you've got a very short amount of time to sell your vision, which is not the way it used to be. You know, when you come in as a head coach, you kind of draw your whole offseason and you were kind of the sheriff of town. And, you know, now we're in an era where there may be a sheriff, but there's there's, you know, everybody can run run wild, basically.

So but so you've got to sell the vision. And one thing one thing that helps is because there's just what I'm coming to learn is there's something about Duke. There's something about this place that that people want to stay. They want to be a part that doesn't just include the players that include staff as well. They value what this experience is here. They value what this education is here. And that's something that we can't forget in this.

You know, the madness of what we're comfortable is now that these are these are men still seeking an education and a degree. And so that's where that, you know, that that experience, it holds outstanding value. What did the experience, albeit probably not probably definitely too short at Miami? What does that give you for this job? Well, number one, you already understand what it is to be a head football coach, because, you know, obviously, when you're an assistant, you're always observing a head coach. I mean, it's like it's like being when you're a child and you think you know what it's like to be a parent because you watch your parents watch other people's parents. And you really have no idea until you bring that baby home from the hospital.

You're like, what in the world do we do with this thing? And it's very similar with it with being head coach. There's no, you know, defense corner for a long time. And people use the term like, well, you'd be the head coach of the defense and sort of.

But it's not even in the same stratosphere. So understanding number one, what the job is, what it really encompasses and what your main roles are. So so to have that experience, certainly second time around helps. And then and then the way that we finished in Miami, you know, the way that, you know, won seven games in the SEC in the second year, won five in the third year, won five out of six after a poor start to the season. So you get an idea of what it means to build a culture. And coaches, I know throw that word around all the time, but but really to build relationships. I mean, that's the most important thing to get a football team that wants to play hard and wants to fight for each other. And that's what I that's what I saw when I watched you play the last year.

You saw a football team that wanted to play hard and wanted to fight for each other. That means there's something going on right on the inside. And and that's I say that's what we've got to capitalize on. I'm trying to, in my mind now, figure out what is the midnight feeding of being a head football coach once you make the baby analogy.

Is there a is there a midnight feeding somebody? You have to get up early in the morning and take care of something. Is there is there like a correlation to that with being the head coach of a college football program? If that's where you out, I mean, obviously the hardest thing now is just try to keep your team together.

Right. You know, because everything is everything you're getting your whole thought right as a coach is to how do we bring people together? How do we bring people to a common goal? How do we unite people? And the current the current landscape is really designed to how do we how do we make it more individualized? And there's so many good things that come into the games.

This is not against any of that. But but the fact that those things also occur while you're midway through a season is what makes things very difficult. So, you know, the push and pull on that is probably the, you know, trying to get the baby to burp at 4 a.m. Anybody who's ever had to deal with that, good luck. I honed my singing voice also at two o'clock in the morning for for about a year. Manny Diaz is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. All right. So you came to Raleigh a long time ago with with Chuck Amato on you were part of his first staff at NC State. So my Mike, have you reached out to coach? What counsel has he given you? Because I know he means a lot to you.

He does really probably owe as much to him in this profession as anybody else. Well, it's in your pocket. You can play anywhere.

P you LSE dot com. Why don't more infant formula companies use organic grass fed whole milk instead of skim? Why don't more infant formula companies use the latest breast milk science? Why don't more infant formula companies run their own clinical trials? Why don't more infant formula companies use more of the proteins found in breast milk? Why don't more infant formula companies have their own factories instead of outsourcing their manufacturing?

We wondered the same thing. So we made by heart an infant formula company on a mission to get a lot closer to the most super, super food on the planet. Breast milk. Our patented protein blend has more of the important and most abundant proteins actually found in breast milk. We're the first and only U.S. made formula to use organic grass fed whole milk, not skim. We even conducted the largest clinical trial by new infant formula company in a quarter century with clinically proven benefits like easier digestion, less spit up and softer poops versus a leading infant formula. And we make our own formula in the USA and our very own factories in Iowa, Oregon and Pennsylvania by heart. A better formula for formula.

Learn more at by heart dot com. Not had a chance to get up with him in this wacky 48 hours that we've been going through. But he taught me so much. I mean, I was so blessed to enter this profession in the late nineties at Florida State to work under Bobby Bowden staff. And then it's specifically in the defensive room with Mickey Andrews and Chuck Amato. And and, you know, it was such a great staff to be on.

No one ever left. And that's why it's so fascinating. And going forward, you know, Coach Bowden's family tree and even Mickey Andrews family trees defense coordinator is so small because people never wanted to leave.

And that type of atmosphere and that type of, you know, the continuity and winning. That's how I was raised. That's that's what you know what? What I believe was kind of the North Star of when you try to build a program. That's that's the way you want to build it.

And that's how you got it. You know, you got to treat people the right way and you got to make people that want, you know, that want to stay and want to be a part. And I think I think if the staff feels that way in this era, I think the players pick up on that. I think that helps the players want to stay as well. Final thing for you, Coach Diaz.

Appreciate your time. As always, I know this has been a whirlwind. You have been a defensive coordinator, Penn State, Texas, Miami. And I'm just the three coaches names that kind of pop in.

I'm just curious what you what you pull from them, what you learn from them. Obviously, Mac Brown, which is with your time at Texas, Mark Richt, because you were the D.C. at Miami when he was the head coach. And James Franklin right now at Penn State.

So what what do you take from those three guys or anybody else that I might have missed? We already talked about Chuck Amato. That kind of helps you and maybe shapes the way you deal with being a head coach. Yeah. You know, really so blessed to have the head coaching role models that I've had throughout my career. Starting with Coach Bowden, coming here with Chuck, you know, his energy that really, if you remember, I mean, just made some of those nights in Carter family were remarkable.

Yeah. Rick Stockstill staff dynamics and how we treated coaches. You know, obviously users was one of the longest tenured coaches in college ball.

And I don't think that's by accident. Dan Mullen, you know, who had just come from working with urban intensity that Dan coached with. You know, you pick up on that. Mac, you know, Mac was elite in understanding everything that goes into college ball, the external factors, you know, dealing with with boosters, media, things like that. It was just it was a masterclass watching that every day. You know, and then Skip Holtz even got to work with Skip and Skip Skip had had some ties to Coach Bowden.

Yep. Learned a lot from them. Again, another person who really treated staff really well. And then you mentioned Mark. And that's where it's kind of full circle to work with Mark.

You know, starting with Coach Bowden and Mark with that same humble spirit, you know, put others before him, which any any good leader should do. Then you become a coach. Then you finally go to work with someone like James.

And I think James superpowers his attention to detail and the way that he is relentless on the things that matter to him. And everybody understands it. And and when you see a program, you know, you're trying to get a program at what I call low level orbit, right? You're trying to get a program above. And when you see, you know, James, I think now is going on 10 or 11 years at Penn State. See how what it means when you when when you've been able to establish a program and when people come in, they know what they're getting into, you know, and what a benefit that that is. You are a gentleman. I appreciate your time.

I couldn't name all the head coaches. But you have been you have been very good at what you have done at every stop. And I can't wait to see what you do at Duke.

I thank you very much for your time. Good luck in meeting everybody and keeping all the people you can keep and get more get more in here. Manny Diaz, head coach at Duke. It sounds good to me.

And I will talk to you soon. OK, Adam, thanks for having me on. That's Manny Diaz, head coach at Duke. You know, one of the things I probably should have asked him was, he's 49 years old. He has no gray hair.

Wow. None. I mean, I don't know. Maybe maybe he is just for men. I don't know.

Maybe I wouldn't disparage him if he did. No, that's fine. I shave my head so I don't have gray hair. Well, and it saves on shampoo and stuff. Yes. I haven't bought shampoo in a long time. Man, I don't throw it a lot. It's expensive. Yes.

You know why? I have it in if I ever need it. I have it in cash prizes every day adds up when you play at Pulse Casino. Foltz dot com. Over 700 casino style games and counting and no terrible lounge singer promise.

Hey, that's pretty mean. There's always a new reason to play cash prices every day of the week. P.U.L.S.E. dot com. Pulse in your pocket. You can play anywhere. P.U.L.S.E. dot com.