Manny Diaz has Duke rolling, and that success has now put Florida State back in the picture.
The Blue Devils are 7-2 and have ripped through their last two opponents, Boston College and NC State, by a combined 88-5. That kind of run has only sharpened the attention around Diaz, especially with Duke operating without the same level of resources as some of its ACC peers.
Even with those limitations, Diaz has kept the Blue Devils winning after losing quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Cooper Barkate late in the transfer portal. Duke has leaned on a powerful rushing attack and a defense that has carried plenty of the load.
That has made Diaz an obvious name to watch as Florida State searches for its next coach after firing Mike Norvell. Diaz is an alumnus of FSU, so the connection is natural, and the Seminoles made a move on Monday that could matter here: they hired Jeff Purinton as athletic director.
Pete Nakos of On3 pointed out that Purinton and Diaz worked together at Florida State in the 1990s, under Bobby Bowden. Because of that history, it would not be a surprise if Diaz at least gets a call from Purinton about the opening.
Diaz is 46-26 as a head coach at Miami and Duke. His time at Miami was rocky, but he seems to have taken those lessons and turned them into real success with the Blue Devils, who reached the ACC championship in 2025.
Florida State’s financial situation could also shape how it approaches the search. With Norvell’s buyout carrying a $50 million price tag, the Seminoles are likely to be tight on resources early in the process. That could make Diaz even more appealing, since he has shown he can get more out of less at Duke.
And if Florida State doesn’t come calling in a way that pulls him away, Diaz still has leverage in Durham. He signed a contract extension earlier this year, and Duke now has to think about how to keep building around him.
What Diaz needs most is better funding for his roster. If Duke had a quarterback like Mensah, it’s fair to wonder just how high this team could climb.
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This is the kind of matchup that can validate everything a team has built over the course of a season, and Duke will lean on its core to do it. Alaina McVeigh, Julia Boehringer, Ashley Stockdale and goalkeeper Kaiya Chepow have helped carry the Blue Devils into the tournament, and now the challenge is turning a solid year into something that lasts beyond the opening round. [Read more 🡒]