Manny Diaz is now a former Penn State defensive coordinator.
Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports reported Thursday night that Diaz had officially become the head coach at Duke, and Duke has since confirmed it.
Welcome to Duke, @Coach_MannyDiaz! 😈 pic.twitter.com/mQhNhm0Pb0
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) December 8, 2023
Manny Diaz was beloved by Penn State fans, coaches and players alike.
Many fans have weighed in on social media, and at least a few players have, too.
Dani Dennis-Sutton wasn’t recruited by Manny Diaz. He committed to Penn State in the summer of 2021, when Diaz was still the head coach at Miami. Diaz was hired not long before Dennis-Sutton signed with Penn State, so he was there when DDS arrived on campus. He was there when Dennis-Sutton went through his first season, and there when he progressed into one of the better players on Penn State’s defense in Year 2.
Dennis-Sutton could become an All-American as soon as the end of 2024, but Diaz won’t be in Happy Valley to see that.
Naturally, that saddens Dennis-Sutton, but he also understands that this is a big opportunity for Diaz
”Gonna miss my dog,” Dennis-Sutton tweeted Thursday night. “On to great things.”
Gonna miss my dog 🙏🏾 On to great things https://t.co/SiH8AQEr3J
— Dani Dennis-Sutton (@thedanidennis) December 8, 2023
DDS wasn’t the only Penn State defender to weigh in.
Unlike Dennis-Sutton, Tony Rojas was recruited by Diaz, and another difference is that Diaz was Rojas’s position coach (LB). Now, in all likelihood, Rojas will play most of his college career without Manny Diaz.
“Hurt bad… 😓😓” Rojas tweeted.
hurt bad..😓😓
— Tony Rojas (@Tony_Rojas5) December 8, 2023
Defensive end Chop Robinson won’t play another down for Penn State.
Days before Diaz’s departure became official, Robinson announced that he opted out of the Peach Bowl and declared for the 2024 draft.
Under Diaz’s watch, Robinson became one of America’s best defensive linemen, and he’ll likely be a first-round 2024 draft pick.
“Nobody deserves it more!” Robinson wrote. “Congrats, coach!”
Nobody deserves it more! Congrats coach! https://t.co/EO6zVaLeB9
— Chop (@chopyoungbull) December 8, 2023
