- Manny Diaz, who owns 25 years of collegiate coaching experience and 14 as a defensive coordinator, enters his second season with the Nittany Lions as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
- Defenses under Diaz have been a force behind the line of scrimmage, as his units since 2016 have ranked in the top 10 nationally in tackles for loss each year: No. 5 in 2022 (8.0 per game), No. 9 in 2021 (7.75), No. 4 in 2020 (8.6), No. 4 in 2019 (8.3), No. 1 in 2018 (10.5), No. 4 in 2017 (8.5) and No. 5 in 2016 (8.3).
- Diaz, who was a 2022 Broyles Award semifinalist and has coached in 20 bowl games (14-6 record), helped propel Penn State's defense into one of the top units in the nation during his first year with the Nittany Lions.
- Penn State finished first nationally with 85 pass breakups and had four games with double-digit pass breakups in 2022, while ranking tied for seventh in takeaways and tied for ninth in scoring defense.
- PSU led the Big Ten with 104 tackles for loss (T-4th nationally) and 42 sacks (T-6th), and 26 different Nittany Lions had at least a full tackle for loss, good for second in the nation.
- Penn State additionally had 16 players who recorded at least one sack, tied for the nation’s lead among Power Five teams.
- Abdul Carter was second-team All-Big Ten as a true freshman, earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors and was a finalist for the Maxwell Football Club's Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.
- During Diaz's tenure as head coach at Miami (2019-21), the Hurricanes tied for the second most ACC wins in the league, only trailing Clemson.
- Diaz coached the Hurricanes to three bowl appearances in his three seasons at the helm, which included an 8-3 (7-2 ACC) record in 2020. It was the second time with Diaz on staff as well as the second time in program history Miami won seven ACC games.
- Miami’s 2021 squad finished the regular season winning five of its last six games, including wins over Top 20 opponents NC State and Pitt, and finished second in the ACC Coastal division with a 5-3 conference record.
- Prior to taking over as head coach, Diaz ran a Hurricane defensive unit which ranked fourth nationally in total defense (278.9) in 2018, while also finishing first in tackles for loss (10.5 per game), third down conversion percentage (.253) and passing defense (135.6).
- From 2018-20, Miami featured at least one player with 15 tackles for loss: Jaelan Phillips (15.5) in 2020, Gregory Rousseau (19.5) in 2019 and Jonathan Garvin (18.0) in 2018.
- During the 2017 campaign, Miami was first nationally in sacks (3.38 per game), third in tackles for loss (8.5 per game), eighth in fumble recoveries (14) and 15th in interceptions (17).
- The Hurricanes won the ACC Coastal Division in 2017 and earned a berth into the Capital One Orange Bowl.
- Diaz joined Miami as a defensive coordinator in 2016 and led an impressive turnaround to the unit in his first season. The Hurricanes ranked fifth nationally in tackles for loss (up from 105th in 2015), tied for eighth in touchdowns allowed (up from 61st), ninth in yards allowed per play (up from 86th), 12th in scoring defense (up from 77th), 20th in total defense (up from 69th) and 22nd in sacks (up from 70th).
- Diaz spent the 2015 season as defensive coordinator at Mississippi State, where the 9-4 Bulldogs held opponents to 23.2 points per game and ranked in the nation’s top 10 in red zone defense and tackles for loss.
- Diaz was the defensive coordinator during the 2014 season at Louisiana Tech, where the Bulldogs led the nation in takeaways (42).
- He was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas (2011-13), as the Longhorns were ninth nationally in yards per play in 2011.
- During his first stint at Mississippi State (2010), MSU ranked 13th nationally in red zone defense (.730), 17th in rushing defense (214.9) and tackles for loss per game (7.0), and 22nd in scoring defense (19.9) and takeaways (28).
- He spent six seasons at NC State as a graduate assistant (2000-05) before joining Middle Tennessee (2006-09), where he led the defense.
- Diaz began his coaching career with Florida State as a graduate assistant and was as part of the national title-winning staff in 1999.
- Jonathan Ford (Miami) - Green Bay Packers; 2022 seventh-round pick
- Jaelan Phillips (Miami) - Miami Dolphins; 2021 first-round pick
- Gregory Rousseau (Miami) - Buffalo Bills; 2021 first-round pick
- Quincy Roche (Miami) - New York Giants; 2021 sixth-round pick
- Shaq Quarterman (Miami) - Jacksonville Jaguars; 2020 fourth-round pick
- Jonathan Garvin (Miami) - Green Bay Packers; 2020 seventh-round pick
- Joe Jackson (Miami) - Carolina Panthers; 2019 fifth-round pick
- Corn Elder (Miami) - Washington Commanders; 2017 fifth-round pick
- Geri Green (Mississippi State) - Las Vegas Raiders; 2019 sixth-round pick
- Chris Jones (Mississippi State) - Kansas City Chiefs; 2016 second-round pick
- Kenny Vaccaro (Texas) - NFL (2013-20); 2013 first-round pick
- Alex Okafor (Texas) - NFL (2013-21); 2013 fourth-round pick
- Keenan Robinson (Texas) - NFL (2012-18); 2012 second-round pick
- Emmanuel Acho (Texas) - NFL (2012-15); 2012 sixth-round pick
- Jordan Hicks (Texas) - NFL (2015-21); 2015 third-round pick
- Jonathan Banks (Mississippi State) - NFL (2013-17); 2013 second-round pick
- Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State) - Philadelphia Eagles; 2012 first-round pick
- K.J. Wright (Mississippi State) - Las Vegas Raiders; 2011 fourth-round pick
- Pernell McPhee (Mississippi State) - NFL (2011-21); 2011 fifth-round pick
- Chris White (Mississippi State) - NFL (2011-14); 2011 sixth-round pick
- DaJuan Morgan (NC State) - NFL (2008-11); 2008 third-round pick
- Manny Lawson (NC State) - NFL (2006-15); 2006 first-round pick
- Stephen Tulloch (NC State) - NFL (2006-16); 2006 fourth-round pick
- Marcus Hudson (NC State) - NFL (2006-10); 2006 sixth-round pick
- Andre Maddox (NC State) - NFL (2005-06); 2005 fifth-round pick
- Pat Thomas (NC State) - NFL (2005-09); 2005 sixth-round pick
- LeVar Fisher (NC State) - NFL (2002-05); 2002 second-round pick
Personal
Year at Penn State: Second
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
Education: Florida State, 1995 - B.A. Communications
Family: Wife: Stephanie; Sons: Colin, Gavin, Manny
Coaching Career
2022-pres. – Penn State (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2019-21 – Miami (Head Coach)
2016-18 – Miami (Defensive coordinator/Linebackers)
2015 – Mississippi State (Defensive Coordinator)
2014 – Louisiana Tech (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2011-13 – Texas (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2010 – Mississippi State (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2008-09 – Middle Tennessee (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2006-07 – Middle Tennessee (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2004-05 – NC State (Safeties/Special Teams)
2002-03 – NC State (Linebackers)
2000-01 – NC State (Graduate Assistant)
1998-99 – Florida State (Graduate Assistant)
Bowl Games as a Coach
- 2023 Rose Bowl - Penn State
- 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (Did Not Coach) - Miami (Fla.)
- 2020 Cheez-It Bowl - Miami (Fla.)
- 2019 Walk-On’s Independence Bowl - Miami (Fla.)
- 2018 New Era Pinstripe Bowl - Miami (Fla.)
- 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl - Miami (Fla.)
- 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl - Miami (Fla.)
- 2015 Belk Bowl - Mississippi State
- 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl - Louisiana Tech
- 2013 Alamo Bowl - Texas
- 2012 Alamo Bowl - Texas
- 2011 Holiday Bowl - Texas
- 2010 Gator Bowl - Mississippi State
- 2009 New Orleans Bowl - Middle Tennessee
- 2006 Motor City Bowl - Middle Tennessee
- 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl - NC State
- 2003 Tangerine Bowl - NC State
- 2002 Gator Bowl - NC State
- 2001 Tangerine Bowl - NC State
- 2000 Micron PC Bowl - NC State
- 1999 Sugar Bowl (BCS Title Game) - Florida State
- 1998 Fiesta Bowl - Florida State