Since taking over the Blue Devils program in late 2023, Diaz has secured commitments from 35 players across the 2024 and 2025 classes—without once boarding a plane. His digital-first approach, rooted in efficiency, strong staff collaboration, and an emphasis on relationships, has redefined expectations at Duke and challenged traditional recruiting norms.
Diaz’s transition into the head coaching role was turbulent for the program.
“There had been so much talk about who had left Duke,” Diaz said during a conversation with Adam Breneman on Next Up. “I really wanted the focus…to be about who was left…they would be the ones responsible for the winning to continue.”
In the wake of roster losses via the transfer portal, his initial task wasn’t to chase high school prospects but to stabilize what remained.
“We had already lost a couple high-profile players to the portal,” he noted. “The first order of business was just keeping our roster.”
His early days on the job were marked by urgency and introspection.
“I had 15 to 20 kids come through my office one-on-one,” he said, describing a rapid-fire effort to establish trust and communicate his vision.
Those early conversations proved crucial in laying the foundation for one of the most quietly successful recruiting runs in program history. Duke landed blue-chip talents like Bryce Davis (#13 DE) and Bradley Gompers (#27 OLB), along with several promising transfers, including wide receiver Andrel Anthony Jr. from Oklahoma.
Diaz’s unorthodox path into coaching—including time as a production assistant at ESPN—has shaped his standard for preparation.
“It was a PhD in high standards,” he recalled.
That mindset translated into a defensive philosophy grounded in toughness, partly shaped by his firing from Texas in 2013.
“You just don’t learn from winning the way that you learn from the losses,” Diaz said. “The toughness of our defense…could not be compromised.”
Now at Duke, Diaz believes the program is capable of more than people expect.
“I think Duke is poised to be a contender every year,” he said. “A player should come here…to compete for championships.”
KEEP READING: Manny Diaz Admits to Channelling Pete Carroll, Texas Struggles and ‘Toughness’ to Shape Duke’s Identity
With a remote-first strategy yielding tangible results, Diaz’s belief is no longer theory—it’s reality.
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