Miami Football DC Manny Diaz has great opportunity at Temple

A firestorm was created on Monday when news leaked that the Miami football program could lose Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz. Diaz is being considered for the vacant Head Coaching Position at Temple.

Temple is the perfect opportunity for a first time Head Coach. It’s not the poor program is used to be before Al Golden (yes, the former UM Head Coach) resurrected the Owls the mid to late 2000s. The Miami Football program could lose one of it’s most valuable staff members if the Owls hire Diaz.

The Owls improved in each of Golden’s first three seasons in Philadelphia. It culminated with a 9-4 2009 season and trip to the Eagle Bank Bowl. In Golden’s final two seasons, Temple finished 17-8.

Golden parlayed that into the Head Coaching Job with the Miami Football program before being fired halfway through the 2015 season. The three subsequent Head Coaches that succeeded Golden at Temple all left the Owls for Head Coaching jobs with Power Five programs.

Steve Addazio left Temple after two seasons for Boston College, Matt Ruhle was hired by Baylor following four seasons and Geoff Collins just parlayed two seasons with Temple into the Head Coaching job at Georgia Tech.

There have been a lot of reasons on social media why Diaz shouldn’t take the job at Temple. The fact is Temple is a good opportunity with a program that has been successful over the last ten seasons and seen its head coaches in the past step up into Power Five positions.

Since Golden’s last two seasons at Temple, the Owls are 73-53. Temple has played in Bowl games in six of those seasons and won two. They play Duke in the Independence Bowl this month.

There are several reasons besides the history of Temple’s coaches moving up into Power Five jobs and the Owls recent run of success that make Temple a good job.

The American Athletic Conference is a good league with quality opponents. Temple is in the same division as Central Florida and South Florida. That could be a positive for Diaz to be able to use with his recruiting connections in the sunshine state.

In addition to Central Florida, South Florida, Houston and Cincinnati have all spent time this season in the top 25. Memphis has had a solid program for a few years.

Going to Temple will give Diaz a chance to mold his own program. He will be able to run the entire thing his way and show that he’s capable of being the front man of a major college football team.

In his three years at Miami, Mark Richt has given Diaz free reign running the Hurricanes defense. The Miami defense has improved in each of those three seasons and overcame a mediocre offense this season to post dominant numbers.

Miami led the nation in pass defense, third down efficiency and tackles for loss in 2018. They finished the season ranked second in total defense. The next logical step for Diaz is to lead a major program. Diaz reportedly turned down the Head Coaching job at Appalachian State. That wasn’t the right fit for Diaz. Temple is.