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By Matthew Schmidt
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Michigan Wolverines are searching for a new head coach, and given that they boast one of the most prestigious college football programs in the country, there should be no shortage of options at their disposal.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic ran down a list of five intriguing candidates for the vacancy in Ann Arbor, and he zeroed in on one surprising possibility: Duke Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz.
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"Duke’s Manny Diaz might get some consideration after leading the Blue Devils to the ACC title in his second year on the job," Feldman wrote. "The 51-year-old Diaz had an impressive two-season run as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, getting a taste of the Big Ten. He might be a good fit at Michigan, having worked at several schools with lofty academic reputations."
Diaz took over at Duke last year and led the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record in his inaugural campaign, ultimately falling to Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl.
This season, Duke has gone 8-5, defeating the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC Championship Game. The Blue Devils also have a date with the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve.
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Of course, Diaz had previous head-coaching experience, as he spent three years at Miami between 2019 and 2021, going 21-15 in an up-and-down stint with the Hurricanes. But he seems to have taken things up a notch at Durham.
Whether or not Diaz is actually prepared to take the next step and lead a top Big Ten program is another story entirely, but the fact that he is even being floated as a target speaks volumes of the job he has done at Duke.
Michigan went a combined 17-8 under Sherrone Moore the last two seasons. Prior to Moore, the Wolverines were guided by Jim Harbaugh for nine years. Harbaugh's tenure at Ann Arbor culminated in an undefeated national championship season during the 2023-24 campaign.
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In a conference that now features heavyweights like Oregon and USC in addition to regulars like Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa (not to mention a rising power in Indiana), Michigan is under tremendous pressure to make the right choice in terms of who will be its next head coach.
We'll see if the Wolverines ultimately place a call to Diaz.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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