Manny Diaz
Illustration by Matthew Shipley
Welcome to our end-of-the-year interview with Duke Football's Coach Manny Diaz! Who better to help us gear up for 2025 than the 'most defensive-minded coach' around? Throughout his impressive career, he has shown an incredible level of resilience that we all admire—just think back to Duke's thrilling victory over North Carolina in September! It’s no surprise the team is headed to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Let’s dive into some fun, lighthearted questions and get to know the man behind the playbook!
What’s the breakfast of champions in your world?
I’ve developed a strange addiction to blueberries and a banana first thing in the morning. So, it’s that and usually some kind of protein to get myself started.
Your father was a former mayor—why did you steer clear of politics?
There’s a lot of politics in my coaching job as well! When my father was mayor of Miami, I was 27 and already out of the house, so I didn’t really grow up in a political household.
If you could only use one word for the rest of your life, what would it be?
One word I’d have to repeat again and again? I’d say—grace.
If you could meet anyone in the world today, who would it be and why?
I’d love to meet Bono. I’ve been a longtime admirer of him.
What’s been the toughest challenge in your coaching career?
If you stay in this career long enough, you’re going to have ups and downs. I’ve lost my job a couple of times, so I’ve had to deal with that. But the hardest part is the scrutiny your family has to endure. As a coach, you understand that you’re in the arena, but the criticism your family goes through is probably the toughest part of the profession.
The biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
Leaving my job at ESPN. My wife and I decided to bet it all on this coaching profession while expecting our firstborn. It felt like a big risk, but also the bigger risk would’ve been not doing it at all.
Can you name all the Kardashians without Googling it?
No, I cannot. Haha!
What’s love to you?
Love is an action word. It’s giving, an act of service. It’s often confused with something we receive—the love we get. But true love is giving yourself to another.
