Report: Miami makes decision on Manny Diaz, future of program

The Miami Hurricanes have made a decision on head coach Manny Diaz’s future with the program, according to The Athletic’s Manny Navaro, and it is “highly unlikely” that Miami fires its head coach in his third season.

Diaz has been underwhelming since taking over as Miami’s head coach in 2019, a position to which he was promoted from defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He’s gone just 18-14 in his three years, including a 4-4 record in 2021 — underwhelming even after an upset of heavily-favored Pitt last weekend.

Miami started the 2021 campaign with an AP preseason ranking of No. 14, a distinction that the Hurricanes never quite lived up to. However, while Diaz has led Miami to a disappointing season, he’s since improved from his tumultuous 2-4 start by beating two consecutive ranked opponents in No. 18 NC State and No. 17 Pitt. Furthermore, some of Diaz’s youngest players, who he transitioned to larger roles amidst the Hurricanes’ poor start, have been exceeding expectations; considering all of these factors, Navaro’s report says it’s highly unlikely that Miami will make the decision to move on this season.

Navaro said it would take a complete meltdown over the final four games of the season for Miami to move on from the Diaz era, as university sources confirmed that they want to see him succeed at what was once a premier football program. With Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Duke left on the 2021 campaign, it seems increasingly likely that Diaz will hold onto his job. Perhaps three-plus losses in those games, however, including a loss to bottom-dwelling Duke, would change the administration’s mind.

Diaz still has two years left on his five-year contract, which runs through 2023 and pays him between $7 million and $8 million in the next two years combined. The university continues to put its trust in his hands, as school president Julio Frenk and the board of trustees indicated a willingness to spend more money on football to propel Miami.

Former Miami head coach Mark Richt, who amassed a 145-51 record in 15 years as the Georgia Bulldogs’ head coach, accepted the job at Miami in 2016. Richt over the course of three seasons posted a 26-13 record, including a win in the 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl and subsequent losses in the 2017 Orange Bowl and 2018 Pinstripe Bowl. However, Richt also managed to win the 2017 ACC Coach of the Year Award. Diaz was Richt’s defensive coordinator. After the 2018 season, Richt in somewhat sudden fashion announced his retirement, creating a head coaching void for athletic director Blake James.

James made a rather abrupt decision, one that begs the question of whether he fully vetted candidates and sought advice from the Miami board of directors, as he promoted Diaz from defensive coordinator to head coach on the very night Richt retired.