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Manny Diaz has accepted a job as DC for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, where he'll join second year head coach Skip Holtz's staff and attempt to work his way back up the college coaching ladder.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Manny Diaz took <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23LaTech&src=hash">#LaTech</a> DC job after bypassing on other coaching opportunities from BigTen, SEC & Pac-12 programs so he could be a DC.</p>— Bruce Feldman (@BFeldmanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BFeldmanCBS/statuses/425707123872239616">January 21, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Diaz is a polarizing figure in Austin and while we've devoted tens of thousands of words here and in our Texas Longhorn football preview e-book trying to suss out his rise and decline at Texas, it's pretty clear that his is a legacy that will best be understood with more distance and context. Was he the fall guy for a failing Texas culture, undermined by a dysfunctional staff, or was he crippled by his own inability to view football as more than just Xs and Os, with scheme and the perfect defensive call the default magic bullet instead of fundamentals and player development?
Yes.
In any event, Diaz is a good guy, was always open about his philosophies, and responsive to and respectful of intelligent criticism. I wish him the best in Ruston. Good luck, Manny.