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Manny Diaz pens heartfelt thanks to Penn State for time in State College

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Manny Diaz spent just two seasons at Penn State as the defensive coordinator under James Franklin. However, he had a strong impact on the program, and the Nittany Lions also left an impact on Diaz.

Ultimately, Diaz’s tenure at Penn State was always going to be somewhat brief with head coaching experience prior to his arrival. It did not take long for Diaz to earn another head coach opportunity with the DC off to Duke to take over the Blue Devils.

With his time at Penn State wrapped up, Diaz reflected on his tenure with a heartfelt statement on social media. Here’s what he had to say about the program:

Thank you Penn State — for everything! It has been a great couple of years in State College. Being part of the tradition, history and passion surrounding this incredible football program is an experience that the entire Diaz family will forever cherish.

I am a better coach for the time spent here and I could not be more appreciative to James (Franklin) for giving me this opportunity. The faith, trust and support from James, Pat Kraft, President Bendapudi and the entire leadership team at Penn State means the world to me.

This is an undeniably special place and I will miss the outstanding players, coaches and staff that show up every day ready to excel. The chemistry we experienced between the defensive coaches and players was infectious. This entire team is an incredible group of men that will propel the Nittany Lion program to great things — on and off the field.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.