Report: Penn State analysts expected to join Manny Diaz's staff at Duke
Penn State just suffered another loss, and this one came courtesy of a familiar face. Nittany Lions defensive analysts, Gabe Infante and Rick Lyster, are reportedly expected to join Manny Diaz’s staff at Duke, per Matt Zenitz.
“Infante, a longtime high school head coach in Pennsylvania, was an assistant at Temple before Penn State. Lyster has worked with Diaz since Diaz’ time as the head coach at Miami,” Zenitz wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After two seasons at Penn State, Duke named Manny Diaz the Blue Devils’ new head coach on Dec. 7, succeeding outgoing Mike Elko, who became Texas A&M’s newest head coach earlier this month.
With Diaz as the program’s defensive coordinator, Penn State boasted the best defense in the nation this season, allowing just 223.3 yards per game.
Duke’s two new additions will only add to its defensive prowess. The Blue Devils had the No. 41 defense in the country this year, giving up 352.7 yards per contest, a stat that should only improve with Manny Diaz and his newest additions leading the way.
Duke names Jonathan Patke its defensive coordinator
On Dec. 26, Duke named Texas State defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke as its next defensive coordinator. He wrapped up his first season with the Bobcats with Tuesday night’s First Responder Bowl against Rice.
During his brief time in San Marcos, Texas, the Bobcats ranked second nationally in tackles for loss (8.3 per game) and ninth in sacks (3.08 per game).
Additionally, Patke mentored linebacker Brian Holloway to All-Sun Belt Second Team honors after the Clear Lake, Texas, native led the team in tackles (104), tackles for loss (16.0), quarterback pressures (8), and interceptions (4), while ranking second in fumble recoveries (2) and caused fumbles (3). His tackles for loss mark set Texas State’s FBS program record.
Patke has a close connection to Diaz, working with him at multiple previous stops. The two worked together at Miami from 2016-21 before the Hurricanes parted ways with Diaz. That’s when Patke became the defensive coordinator at Incarnate Word — where he began his career as a graduate assistant — for a season before latching on at Texas State.
In addition to their time at Miami, Patke and Diaz worked together at Mississippi State. Diaz was the defensive coordinator in 2015 while Patke served as a graduate assistant with the defense.
On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.