Manny Diaz: Leading With Gratitude, Authenticity, & A Winning Mindset

This week Andrew talks with new Duke University Head Football Coach Manny Diaz. Manny’s coaching journey began in the late 90s when he stepped away from an emerging career at ESPN to chase his coaching dream. He took an unpaid volunteer role at his alma mater Florida State — and the rest is history. Since then, he’s spent 26 years in coaching — including 3 as a head coach and 15 as a defensive coordinator. In this conversation, Manny shares a behind-the-scenes look at his career and many of the ideas & leadership philosophies he’s bringing to his new role at Duke. This conversation is filled with powerful life & career lessons that you can apply to anything. 

Show Highlights:

0:00 - Intro
2:10 - Decision to leave ESPN for coaching
5:45 - Lessons from mentors
8:17 - “You become experts in failure”
9:28 - Learning from different experiences
11:06 - Organizing your day
12:15 - Clearly communicating values & vision
14:05 - Navigating high-stress environments
15:45 - Manny’s “tarp pulling” moments
16:40 - Hiring the right people
18:27 - Transition to Duke
20:37 - Making disciplined career decisions
24:10 - Overcoming current challenges in college football
28:36 - Gratitude & positivity 

** Follow Andrew On Social **

Twitter/X: @andrewhmoses
Instagram: @AndrewMoses123

Sign up for e-mails to keep up with Andrew's podcast at everybodypullsthetarp.com/newsletter