Manny Diaz’s honesty is refreshing: “Overall, the feeling was I’d have to get my brain checked if I didn’t come here,” said the former Mississippi State defensive coordinator. Here is Texas, home of the Longhorns, site of one of the nation’s most feeble efforts in 2010, a place where Diaz will be tasked with helping U.T. reverse a most inopportune slide down the Big 12 standings. This doesn’t sound like mere lip service for a coach whose career in sports began in 1994 at ESPN, of all places, back when Diaz was considering a career in sports journalism, not coaching.
His road towards his latest destination has taken him through Florida State, Middle Tennessee State and Mississippi State, among other landing spots, and while there might be a perception that this is too much, too soon for Diaz, Texas hopes it has gotten in on the ground floor of the country’s next star defensive coordinator.
One thing Diaz is not is a Will Muschamp clone, both in demeanor and past success. When Muschamp arrived at Texas, he was already acclaimed as perhaps the nation’s top young defensive assistants, thanks to several years of solid defenses at Auburn. Diaz was nothing if not impressive in his lone season in Starkville, but it was his one and only season as a coordinator in the SEC, let alone on the B.C.S. conference level.
Even with what his defense achieved in 2010, Diaz remains an enigma — particularly outside the SEC. Those inside the conference certainly note the progress M.S.U. took in his single season as co-defensive coordinator, a title he shared with Chris Wilson: the Bulldogs made a significant, perhaps staggering improvement from 2009-10.
His defense allowed a touchdown less per game, finishing 20th nationally in scoring; improved from 62nd nationally against the run a year ago to 17th, fourth in the SEC; and became more adept at forcing turnovers, helping the Bulldogs finish in the black in turnover margin for the first time in nearly a decade.
This improvement, as well as his successful stint at Middle Tennessee State, got him this job; from here on out, however, all that will matter are his results in Austin. The expectations surrounding Diaz are high, both because of the expectations already in place at Texas and the success found by his predecessor.
The defense wasn’t the issue in 2010; fingers can be pointed at the offense, which wanted badly to run the ball with physicality but failed miserably, placing undue pressure on a first-year starting quarterback. It will be on Diaz to maintain the high level of play on the defensive side of the ball while Texas continues to tweak the offense — the search for that coordinator remains ongoing, though an offer has reportedly been made to current Wisconsin assistant Paul Chryst.
What would be a supreme disappointment: the offense makes a rapid rebound, whether under Chryst or another assistant, while the defense fails to recapture its past success under Diaz. That’s the type of negative thinking that keeps coaches awake at night — that may not keep Diaz from sleeping, but it’s surely on Mack Brown’s mind as U.T. prepares for 2011.
The expectations are high, though it’s not as if Diaz walked into a serene environment at Starkville at this point a year ago. Still, while Mississippi State is in the SEC — with all that entails — there’s a difference between that scene and the scene in Austin, a dog-eat-dog environment that has the potential to turn into a horror show, as a longtime Brown aide like Greg Davis can attest.
Give Diaz credit for one thing: he’s embracing the opportunity, as the above quote illustrates. That sound bite made Austin smile, but that goodwill will last only until September — if not earlier — when results become the bottom line.
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