Manny Diaz begins filling out his Duke staff

During his Signing Day virtual press conference, Manny Diaz said he wanted to pay respect to both Duke’s coaches at the Birmingham Bowl and coaches on other staffs by not announcing any of his new hires at Duke yet.

After Duke’s 17-10 win over Troy last weekend closed the book on the Blue Devils’ season, this week has seen Diaz start filling out his staff.

Duke has announced four hires — including both coordinators — over the past few days.

Here’s who has been hired so far:

Title: Offensive coordinator/QBs coach

Coming from: SMU.

Ties to Duke: N/A.

Ties to Diaz: Two seasons at Miami (2020-21) in senior offensive quality control role while Diaz was the head coach.

Summary: Brewer spent the past two seasons as SMU’s QBs coach and was the offensive coordinator this past season, when the Mustangs were sixth in the country for scoring offense (40.6 points per game).

That was the 36-year-old’s second stint at SMU, as he was in an offensive quality control analyst position with the Mustangs for two seasons before his time at Miami. Otherwise, Brewer was a graduate assistant and analyst at Auburn from 2013-16 and spent the 2017 season at Connecticut.

Title: Offensive line coach

Coming from: Louisiana.

Ties to Duke: N/A.

Ties to Diaz: N/A.

Summary: Norrid spent the last three seasons at Louisiana, during which the Ragin’ Cajuns were 25-15 and won the Sun Belt championship in 2021.

In each of those seasons, Louisiana’s offense was top five in tackles for loss allowed, rushing offense and sacks allowed.

Before going to Louisiana, the 43-year-old Norrid was at Florida Atlantic for three years (one as an analyst, two as offensive line coach). His career started as a student assistant at Arkansas, followed by a graduate assistant with the Razorbacks. Norrid was an offensive analyst at Alabama from 2009-14, a part of three national championship teams.

Title: Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach.

Coming from: Texas State.

Ties to Duke: N/A.

Ties to Diaz: Was at Miami for all six seasons that Diaz was (2016-21, three with Diaz as defensive coordinator, three with Diaz as head coach). Also worked with Diaz at Louisiana Tech (2014) and Mississippi State (2015).

Summary: This one might be the obvious hire for Diaz so far unless you consider retaining strength and conditioning coach David Feeley. Patke’s extensive history with Diaz makes him an ideal choice to lead the side of the ball where Diaz’s background is heavy.

Patke only spent one season at Texas State, but the Bobcats won eight games and beat Rice 45-21 in the First Responder Bowl. Texas State was second nationally in tackles for loss (8.3 per game) and ninth in sacks (3.08).

Aside from his time with Diaz at Miami, Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State, and this past season at Texas State, the 37-year-old Patke has had two stints at FCS-level Incarnate Word (2011-12, 2022).

Title: Tight ends coach.

Coming from: Appalachian State.

Ties to Duke: N/A.

Ties to Diaz: N/A.

Summary: If you’re coming to a state where you haven’t coached before, it makes a lot of sense to grab a longtime staffer from a Group of 5 program that’s punched above its weight in most chances it’s gotten.

Watts spent the last nine seasons at App State with five different titles. The gist is that the 46-year-old played a large role in coaching the Mountaineers’ receivers and tight ends, along with recruiting.

He’s also a Clemson graduate, having started his coaching career there as a graduate assistant in 2001-02. After that, he spent three seasons at UT Chattanooga, and then was Middle Tennessee State’s recruiting coordinator/receivers coach from 2006-14.