UM Coach Manny Diaz: This Year's Team Is 'More Connected' Than A Year Ago
Miami coach Manny Diaz was talking to the media Tuesday when he happened to mention he thinks this team is more connected than last year’s team. The questions are whether you believe him and whether being more connected, or being closer, makes a difference.
I’ve always maintained closeness makes very little difference when compared to talent. I’ll take the talent. In other words, I’ll take a distant, in-fighting Clemson team over a close-knit, middle-of-the-pack North Carolina.
However, being better-connected could mean something else, it could give you an edge in a more abstract or esoteric way.
“Number one, it has to do with the people,” Diaz began while expounding on what he meant by saying this team is "better connected" than a year ago
“I think certain people, and certain groups of people, fit together better than some other types, (it's) more like-minded people. I think that’s part of it.”
Diaz went on to say part of establishing a "culture" is finding out who is buying what you’re selling, so to speak.
“And then what happens,” he continued, “is that those that maybe aren’t really all for that, they get a little bit marginalized and sort of put to the side, not put in really important positions.”
That part is the key, and it’s what you should be happy to hear as a UM fan. It means if you aren’t buying what Diaz and his staff are selling, you’ll get left behind.
Diaz continued with what he thinks makes this year’s team more connected than a year ago.
“And then just the way that we work,” he said. “…in this offense and the way that we are practicing now, the fatigue is going to find you because there’s really nowhere to hide. Especially with the way we’ve been practicing these last two weeks out there, it has been as hot as I can remember on our practice field.
“So I think there’s have no choice (but) to find out who’s really for their teammates and who’s maybe a little bit more for themselves.”
Diaz wrapped up by saying he thinks these are things “everyone in the program senses.”
Again, the prize is in the last part of the quote. It means Diaz and his staff won’t settle for selfish players who don’t do their off-the-field work, who don’t, for example, maintain excellent stamina so they gain an advantage over their opponents.
If, as Diaz said, everyone in the program senses the coaches won’t compromise, if everyone knows coaches won’t play the players who don’t buy in, it’ll make the Canes better.
However, talent usually rules in college football, which is why Diaz, along with Miami fans, must hope UM’s best players have bought in to what the coaches are selling. That would make more difference than having a well-connected team.
And when you think about it, that’s probably what Diaz was ultimately saying about this team being more connected.
