Eighteen victories and an ACC Championship trophy that is the two‑year haul Manny Diaz has compiled since taking over the Duke Blue Devils. Yes, he stepped into a program that Mike Elko left in reasonably sound shape when Elko departed for Texas A&M, but Diaz has already pulled off feats in Durham that have not been seen in more than twenty‑five years. Quietly, he is cementing a sterling reputation as one of the premier head coaches in his conference. Where exactly does he fit in the league hierarchy?
USA TODAY Sports’ Austin Curtright recently produced a ranking of all 17 head football coaches in the ACC, and the order came out as follows:
Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney
Virginia Tech Hokies head coach James Franklin
SMU Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee
Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key
Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz
Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert
Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi
Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott
North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren
Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown
Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell
California Golden Bears head coach Tosh Lupoi
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tavita Pritchard
Boston College Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick
Curtright placed Diaz at No. 7 and offered this explanation in his accompanying blurb:
“Diaz has overall done a solid job at Duke, but his tenure has been a bit confusing,” Curtright wrote. “He won the ACC championship last season, although the Blue Devils went 7‑5 in the regular season, reaching the title game due to a long list of tiebreakers. He has been solid, which is all you can ask for at Duke, which will never be a football school. He has an 18‑9 record in two seasons. The former Miami coach is certainly meeting expectations, and could be a candidate for a better job after another strong year.”
To speak plainly, there is nothing remotely confusing about Diaz’s tenure. His resume may not follow the conventional script of other highly regarded coaches, but the man delivers results. In short, Diaz accomplishes more with fewer resources than many of his ACC coaching peers. Frankly, he belongs in the top five of his conference, though his full recognition will come in time. For the moment, let us examine who he might leapfrog, and also keep an eye on…
Let us begin by deflating the false narrative that an ACC newcomer automatically qualifies as a great head coach.
James Franklin is coasting on a reputation that was built on illusion rather than substance.
The fact that James Franklin has taken a new job should not alter our assessment of the former Penn State coach. He may have been Diaz’s boss back in State College, but no one does less with a good program than Franklin. Over his decade‑long run at Penn State, how many truly signature wins did he amass? He consistently handled the teams he was supposed to beat, but he never managed to knock off a legitimate opponent as an underdog.
Franklin might find success at Virginia Tech, but that position is far more demanding than outsiders appreciate. Ever since Frank Beamer retired, Blacksburg has chewed up Justin Fuente and rendered Brent Pry ineffective until Franklin decided to keep Pry on as his new defensive coordinator! Virginia Tech could certainly return to respectability under Franklin, but he does not warrant this level of hype.
Deep down, Franklin may believe he is overqualified for the Virginia Tech job, but his own career disappointments are what brought him to this point.
Dabo Swinney has lost his edge, and Clemson is dropping more games because of it.
You used to be elite; what happened? Dabo Swinney doubled down on his familiar approach during an era of immense change, only to see the world shift and leave him behind. He may go down as the greatest coach in Clemson history, but 2018 feels like a distant memory. Clemson’s former dominance over the ACC is gone. He might have two national titles, but those teams were carried by star quarterbacks.
The true state of Clemson football is this: last year’s defending ACC champions could not even make it back to Charlotte. Duke earned its spot there with a 7‑5 (6‑2) record. Clemson did reach the College Football Playoff in 2024, but that came with a 9‑3 mark… Prior to that, the last time Clemson played for a national championship was the 2020 season. Time waits for no one.
Unfortunately for Clemson fans, they will simply have to ride out the years with their eccentric head coach.
Another ACC title for Manny Diaz would put Jeff Brohm’s standing into sharper perspective.
While Franklin and Swinney are fair targets for criticism, Jeff Brohm being ranked ahead of Diaz stings a little differently. Brohm is an excellent coach. He performed wonders at Purdue before returning to his alma mater, Louisville. He knows offense and knows how to revive a struggling program. But does he know defense? That shortcoming has hurt him in ACC play.
Louisville has reached an ACC Championship under Brohm, but they have not won one yet. The Cardinals will routinely win about nine games under his watch, but his leaky defense nearly always costs him. Consider this: if Diaz were to guide Duke back to Charlotte before Brohm gets the Cardinals there again, what would that say about these two ACC coaches in question? Brohm is a fine head coach, but Diaz has accomplished more with inferior resources in a shorter time than Brohm has.
Jake Dickert could be headed for bigger things beyond Wake Forest.
If there is one coach ranked behind Diaz that Duke fans should worry about, it is Jake Dickert. Foolishly, Michigan State chose Jonathan Smith over him to lead their program. Dickert won at Washington State after Nick Rolovich’s foolish behavior nearly sank the Cougars. He navigated Wazzu through an embarrassing period of Pac‑12 realignment.
Though he could have stayed in Pullman, Dickert bet on himself by replacing the iconic Dave Clawson at Wake Forest. He went 9‑4 in his debut season in Winston‑Salem. Even though Duke and Wake Forest could both be good at the same time, Diaz and the Blue Devils cannot afford their fellow Tobacco Road private school to steal their spotlight. Keep a close watch on Wake Forest.
Should Duke and Diaz stumble, do not be shocked if Dickert suddenly rockets to superstardom.
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