After winning ACC championship, how Duke rewarded football coach Manny Diaz
Duke football coach Manny Diaz, who guided the Blue Devils to the 2025 ACC championship, has agreed to a contract extension through the 2032 season.
The extension was announced Thursday by Duke athletic director Nina King. Terms of the extension were not disclosed.
“Manny Diaz is exactly the right leader at exactly the right time for Duke University,” King said in a statement. “His clear vision for Duke football, deep understanding of our student-athletes and strong alignment with campus and athletics leadership have positioned us for sustained success in the years ahead.”
Duke hired Diaz, 52, in December 2023 after Mike Elko left to become head coach at Texas A&M. The former defensive coordinator at Penn State, Diaz led the Blue Devils to nine-win seasons in his first two years.
Duke was 9-4 in 2024, then put together a 9-5 record this past season, finishing 6-2 in the ACC. The Blue Devils edged Virginia, 27-20, in overtime in the ACC championship game in Charlotte, notching the program’s first outright conference title since 1962.
The Devils then picked up their ninth win with a 42-29 victory over Arizona State in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. It was the third time in program history that Duke won the ACC championship and a bowl in a season, joining the 1954 (Orange Bowl) and 1960 (Cotton Bowl) teams.
Duke also could claim a second consecutive “state title” after beating N.C. State, North Carolina and Wake Forest in the same season. The Blue Devils had not done that since the 1961 and 1962 seasons.
A native of Miami and Florida State graduate, Diaz got his first assistant coaching job at N.C. State on Chuck Amato’s staff. His first head coaching job was at Miami from 2019-2021, where he had a 21-15 record and three bowl appearances.
