Reports: La. Tech defensive coordinator Manny Diaz headed back to Miss. St.

Manny Diaz will reportedly return to Mississippi State.

According to Sports Illustrated, ESPN and the Clarion Ledger, Diaz, who served as defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech this season, will return to Starkville to be the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator. Diaz previously was the program’s defensive coordinator in 2010 for one season before accepting the same position at Texas.

Diaz would replace Geoff Collins, who left Mississippi State to be the defensive coordinator on Jim McElwain’s new staff at Florida.

In Diaz’s lone season at Louisiana Tech, the Bulldogs forced 42 turnovers – 26 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries – to lead the nation.

With Diaz running the defense in 2010, Mississippi State, in its second season under Dan Mullen, was 22nd in the nation in scoring defense (19.9 points per game) and 17th in rushing defense (119 yards per game).

Diaz left Starkville after one season to be the coordinator and linebackers coach under Mack Brown at Texas. In 2013, his third year with the Longhorns, Diaz was fired after his defense gave up a school-record 550 yards in a loss to BYU. 

Before his first stint at Mississippi State, Diaz was the defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State from 2006-2009. He also was an assistant at NC State from 2000-2005 and was a graduate assistant at Florida State from 1998-1999.

Mississippi State went 10-3 this season and gave up 577 yards in an Orange Bowl loss to Georgia Tech on New Year’s Eve.

For more Mississippi State news, visit BulldogBlitz.com.

For more Louisiana Tech news, visit BleedTechBlue.com.

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