Penn State has hired Manny Diaz as its defensive coordinator, the program announced Saturday.
"My family and I are so excited to come to Happy Valley and join the Penn State family," said Diaz. "The opportunity to lead Linebacker U is an honor and I will work every day to uphold that tradition. Penn State's defense has been among the nation's best, both historically and under Coach Franklin. I will continue to pursue excellence with our defensive unit on a daily basis. I can't wait to get on the field with this talented group, to get to know them, and to ultimately develop them as football players, students and young men. Penn State's fans are the best in the country, and I look forward to seeing them this fall in Beaver Stadium!"
The former Miami head coach previously coordinated defenses for Middle Tennessee, Mississippi State, Texas, Louisiana Tech and Miami.
At Miami, he fielded three straight defenses that boasted at least one player with 15 tackles for loss, and the Hurricanes ranked among the top 10 in tackles for loss all six years he was on campus.
Diaz replaces Brent Pry, who is now the head coach at Virginia Tech.
"We are thrilled to add Manny Diaz as our defensive coordinator," said Franklin. "Manny is a veteran defensive play caller whose head coaching experience will bring tremendous value to our organization. He has an innovative approach to complement his extensive Xs & Os knowledge which he developed through his stops at multiple Power Five conferences. Manny's defensive philosophy is in line with our scheme and will help in the transition with our current team. His defenses have been aggressive and led the country in several categories throughout his career. We are excited to have Manny and his family join us in Happy Valley!"
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