Manny Diaz reflects on impact Bobby Bowden, Rick Stockstill had on his career

Bobby Bowden gave Manny Diaz the first break of his career, adding him as a graduate assistant to the Florida State coaching staff for the 1998-1999 season.

Over two decades later, he’s now the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, and the lessons Bowden instilled in him have stuck alwayswith him over the years. Similar stories can be told throughout Diaz’s various stops leading up to him becoming the leader of a program for the first time in his career.

The first-year head coach went through the list of the most influential mentors in his life that led up to that moment during his appearance on the podium at ACC Media Days.

“I think first you’re taught how you’re raised. My parents are … the first lesson you’re going to receive is from them,” Diaz said. “The first credit goes to them. In this profession in particular, I’m so fortunate to break in at Florida State in the late ’90s. To sit there when football staffs were so small back then, I was one of 15 in the staff room.

“Bobby Bowden at the end of the table. You’ve got Mickey Andrews and Chuck Amato to your right. You have Mark Richt as the offensive coordinator to your left. Holy cow, what a room of people to learn from. To be with Coach Bowden for three years, to go to NC State with Coach Amato for six years. Really the first nine years of my career, I was raised in the Florida State way.”

The key for Diaz is that he never stopped learning. He was always able to take away lessons at all eight previous stops, no matter the level of competition on the field.

“Then to go to Middle Tennessee with Rick Stockstill, who really, again, is a Coach Bowden disciple,” he continued. “Over the first decade of my career, three jobs, really taught from the Bobby Bowden way. I think the guy won more games than anyone ever. It was like getting a Ph.D. in what is takes to be great at football.”

Now, Diaz gets the opportunity to bestow Bowden’s wisdom upon his own team during Duke’s 2024 college football season. That begins on Friday, Aug. 30 aginst Elon for an early Week 1 battle. The first-year head coach gets his first taste of ACC action fittingly against archrival North Carolina during Week 5 on Sept. 28.