MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 09: (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
When Manny Diaz announced last week that he is taking over the defensive play-calling for the Miami football team from defensive coordinator Blake Baker he was questioned about the ability to be the head coach and call plays. Diaz will be part of a handful of head coaches who call defensive plays.
Manny Navarro of The Athletic noted that Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall, Gary Patterson of TCU and recently fired Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt have all called defensive plays. In the NFL Washington head coach, Ron Rivera called defensive plays when he was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.