Former Miami head coach Manny Diaz is drawing early buzz for the Penn State vacancy just days after the Nittany Lions dismissed James Franklin. Penn State announced a leadership change Sunday with associate head coach Terry Smith named interim coach, and multiple hot board lists have included Diaz among potential candidates given his ties to Happy Valley and recent success at Duke.
Diaz's Penn State connections are a big part of the rumors. He coordinated the Nittany Lions' defense in 2022 and 2023, when PSU won the Rose Bowl and produced one of the nation's most disruptive units (Big Ten-leading 104 tackles for loss and 42 sacks in 2023).