Manny Diaz’s name is already surfacing in the coaching carousel conversation again, and Duke’s latest win only added fuel.
The Blue Devils dug out of an ugly second half hole Friday night and beat Virginia 19-16 on the road, getting back in the win column after a two-game skid. Duke had to navigate part of the game without quarterback Walker Eget, who missed some of the first half because of an apparent hand injury. Eget returned and helped steady the offense, but the biggest swing came on a trick play in the fourth quarter, when running back Nate Sheppard threw the game-winning touchdown pass.
That result pushed Duke to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in ACC play, keeping Diaz’s turnaround season on track even after the program lost Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate late in the transfer portal. With those departures, plenty of people around college football were wondering whether Duke could still find its way to a bowl game despite last season’s ACC championship.
Then came the coaching chatter.
Not long after Duke’s win, Dan Wolken of Yahoo Sports pointed to Diaz as a potential top target for USC if the Trojans move on from Lincoln Riley after the season. No.
16 USC is 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play, with its only loss coming to Oregon on Sept. 26.
Riley is under pressure to deliver his first College Football Playoff appearance at USC, and if that doesn’t happen, the Trojans could be looking for a new head coach.
Duke has already served as a launch point for one coach before. Mike Elko used the job as a springboard, helping turn the program around before heading to Texas A&M in the SEC.
Diaz has kept that momentum going. He went 9-4 in his first season in 2024 and 9-5 in 2025, giving him a 23-11 overall mark and a 13-7 record in ACC play, along with a conference title. That kind of résumé has made him a popular early name as the coaching carousel starts to spin.
This is Diaz’s second run as a college head coach. He was 21-15 in three seasons at Miami. And with his new deal at Duke signed during the offseason, any chance to lead an elite Big Ten program would likely be appealing.
Even if USC never opens up, Diaz’s name is likely to keep circulating as Duke’s season rolls on.
In Other News...
Duke Let A Huge Opportunity Slip Against Stanford
Duke had a chance to turn a statement match into something bigger at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but the Blue Devils could not cash in against No. 15 Stanford. After staying in the fight deep into the fourth set, Duke dropped a 3-1 decision in a result that felt especially frustrating given how close the final stretch came to swinging the other way.
Ashby Zubchevich carried the offense with 28 kills and 13 digs, while Nataly Moravec added 22 kills and 18 digs to keep Duke within reach. Even with those performances, the Blue Devils could not finish off four set-point chances in the fourth, leaving them to wonder how different the night might have looked with one more stop or one more swing. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Finally Won A Nail-Biter And Fans Will Debate How
Duke spent a night in Durham that had all the usual ingredients of a stressed-out football fan base: a tight score, a late lead and one final sequence that had to be survived rather than celebrated. The Blue Devils broke through with a late touchdown pass from Nate Sheppard to Brody Keefe, a trick look built off a double pass called by Manny Diaz and offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer, and it gave Duke the edge it needed against Virginia.
The extra point never went through, which only made the finish feel more precarious as Virginia got one last shot. Dukes defense, though, held the line on a desperation fourth-and-6 throw and came down with the interception to seal a 5-2 start overall and a 2-2 mark in ACC play. It was the kind of win that leaves one group of fans praising the creativity and another replaying every snap, which is probably exactly what a one-score victory is supposed to do. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Found A Wild Way To Steal A Late ACC Road Win
Duke left Charlottesville with a wild road win, and it came in a game that never looked particularly clean for either side. The Blue Devils did just enough to hang around against Virginia before a late trick play flipped the night, with running back Nate Sheppard finding Brody Keefe for a touchdown that turned a tight finish into a Duke advantage.
Virginia still had a chance to answer, but a missed extra point earlier in the sequence loomed large once Duke had the edge. From there, Patrick Smith-Young delivered the closing moment with an interception to seal the 19-16 victory, pushing Duke to 5-2 and leaving the Cavaliers searching for what might have been in a game that slipped away at the end. [Read more 🡒]