Manny Diaz reacts to move to Penn State, unceremonious ending at Miami

No program had a more eventful coaching carousel than the Miami Hurricanes. Between Manny Diaz and Mario Cristobal, nobody was quite sure who would be the head coach next season.

In the end, Cristobal decided to leave Oregon and return back to his hometown. Miami decided to fire Manny Diaz before Penn State picked him up as their defensive coordinator.

On Friday, Diaz broke that relative silence with a brief, light-hearted assessment of the changes.

“This past month has been a hell of a year,” Manny Diaz said.

The former head coach has previously called last week a “whirlwind” as the respected head coach figured out where his next stop would be.

Diaz was hired by Penn State head coach James Franklin last week after the controversial exit at Miami. The Hurricanes conducted a coaching search prior to formally dismissing Diaz. The Hurricanes finished the season 7-5 and will face Washington State in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.

This stint in Pennsylvania will be his first coaching gig in the Big Ten. He has also been at his alma mater, Florida State, plus NC State, Middle Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State. Diaz is a Miami native.

Diaz is replacing Brent Pry, who left to take the head coaching job at Virginia Tech. Pry had one of the best defensive units in the Big Ten, so Diaz will start with some high-level talent. The Nittany Lions allowed just 16.8 points per game this season.

Additionally, they signed the No. 7 class in the nation on Wednesday as part of early signing day. Both of Penn State’s five-star signees are offensive players, but the Nittany Lions signed seven four-star recruits and another four-star athlete who could play receiver or safety in Mehki Flowers.

Penn State linebacker heading to NFL

The Penn State Nittany Lions have the opportunity to send the season with two wins against SEC opponents, facing off against Arkansas on Jan. 1 in the Outback Bowl. However, they will be doing so without one of their best defensive players.

Linebacker Brandon Smith announced he will be leaving Penn State a year early and heading to the NFL. He announced his decision via Twitter, releasing a statement thanking the Nittany Lions.

“I am going to forgo my senior season and the bowl game and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft,” Smith said. “I will continue to work hard and do my best to represent my school and my family to the best of my ability on and off the field. We Are Penn State! Thank You for the memories and smiles, I am thankful for my time here.”

Smith was a five-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus coming out of high school. He ranked inside the top 25 nationally and was the top player from the state of Virginia. Living up to the hype during his time at Penn State, Smith will leave with 132 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, four sacks, and an interception over three years.