Duke Football’s Evolution: Manny Diaz Shares His Perspective

When people think of Duke, the first thing that comes to mind is the prestigious basketball program that has dominated college basketball for over 60 years. The football program has been an afterthought and never considered a Blue Blood program in the sport.

However, this season, although the Blue Devils are 5-4, there is a different buzz and feeling in the football program, as Manny Diaz has quickly established Duke as a formidable team during his first two seasons as the head coach.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) warms up before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

While speaking with the media on Wednesday during his press conference availability, Diaz explained how Duke's football program is developing and evolving into a well-known commodity.

Diaz's Thoughts

Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz high-fives players Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"This is all new to Duke," Diaz said. "We're all learning what it means to have your best required week in and week out. This is different for our guys to go 12 straight weeks of really high expectations, and they want it, and we want it. You just have to learn what that means to go through it."

"The only way to build a program to win and compete for things at the end of the season is to learn the lessons of the adversities, the successes, and all these types of things," Diaz continued.

"The ones that are learning are not the senior class. The ones learning are the freshmen. They're getting a front row seat in the demands of what it takes to win a conference, what it takes to make the playoff, to even be in that conversation, but to be your best week in and week out."

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz on the field before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Diaz believes that the college football landscape has changed dramatically, as programs are prematurely judged based on historical pedigree. However, the 51-year-old coach does not correlate that with programs anymore, and Duke is a prime example of that narrative.

"The brain thinks that there is a difference between Clemson and Connecticut," Diaz said. The reality is, you get on the grass, there really isn't. That's the whole deal with college football - no different than when Clemson plays Duke and Florida State - those two things seem like they used to be different. They're not all that different as people think they are now."

Duke Blue Devils celebrates after the final play Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"From my standpoint, losing sucks, and it's never a great thing, but it's such a great teacher," Diaz continued. "Not just in terms of getting us better for this week, but for getting this program to the program we really want to be sustainable in terms of competing for championships."

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