Since taking over as head football coach in 2000, Chuck Amato has seen attrition in his assistant coaching staff. Some have left to take jobs at higher profile universities, some have left to take promotions and some have moved on to the same jobs at universities with situations similar to N.C. State.
The most recent of these is former Wolfpack safeties coach Manny Diaz, who left after the 2005 season to take the defensive coordinator job at Middle Tennessee State.
Technician sought interviews with former defensive coordinators Buddy Green and Reggie Herring, former associate head coach John “Doc” Holliday and Diaz over the past week to discuss the heat Amato has received from fans and the media.
Herring, now in the same position at Arkansas, was unavailable for comment on the issue. Green, now in the same position at Navy, did not return numerous phone messages asking to talk about Amato. The University of Florida media relations department, which works with the Gators who Holliday is now employed by, did not return phone messages requesting an interview with Holliday.
But Diaz, who came with Amato from Florida State, weighed in on a variety of subjects dealing with N.C. State, including his feelings about working under Amato and the state of the program. Here’s what Diaz had to say:
On working as an assistant coach under Amato:
“I’ve only worked under two coaches, coach Amato and now coach [Rick] Stockstill here at Middle Tennessee State, but coach Amato did a lot for my career. He always treated me fairly. But he’s a no nonsense guy, and anybody who tried to flip one past him would not last long.”
On working at N.C. State as opposed to Middle Tennessee State and why he left:
“There are a lot of similarities really. Right now it’s a lot like it was in 2000 when we came to N.C. State. And I try to apply what I learned there to here. When we first got to State, they told us to beat Carolina, because at the time they couldn’t beat Carolina. And then I believe we beat them three out of the first four years. [At Middle Tennessee State] it was home openers. They couldn’t win the home opener. And so we won the home opener. But that gets forgotten quickly, like it does at N.C. State or anywhere else. But I only left because it was an opportunity to be a defensive coordinator. That’s the only reason.”
On how much credit or blame a coach deserves for the success or failure of a program:
“I think a coach deserves a ton of credit if he builds a program. You look at N.C. State six years ago when we came there. Outside of Raleigh and maybe the ACC, nobody knew about N.C. State. It’s all about relevance to me. Six years ago N.C. State was not relevant nationally. But now, the program is nationally known. We used to have to explain to recruits where N.C. State was, and now they know. Now N.C. State’s on the map. But no one wins every game, and you can’t expect to. The number one thing about what Amato has done there is that N.C. State football is now relevant.”
On fan expectations and the direction of the football program under Amato:
“No, expectations aren’t too high. I think it was Vince Lombardi who said, ‘Winning is everything.’ Well, I think he was misquoted. It’s the pursuit of winning that’s everything. It’s the pursuit of winning, the pursuit of being competitive and winning games, but not every game, that measures the success of a football program. But if you look at where coach Amato came from — Florida State — 10-1 was a failure. If you won 10 games and not a national championship, then it was like, ‘we’ll try to do better next year.’ The key, though, is the pursuit of winning. And coach Amato has done a good job of that.”
On the fan base’s unhappiness and criticism of the football program under Amato:
“I don’t think the fan base as a whole is unhappy. The part of the fan base that’s unhappy is just a small minority. It’s a squeaky wheel type of thing. It’s a small voice that’s reacting to what they read in The News and Observer or on other media outlets about the coaching situation.”
On whether or not N.C. State should fire Amato if the team has a losing season:
“There’s no way that should happen. And I don’t think it will. But I do know this about the ACC. All the coaches that came in in 2000 and 2001 — their programs are hitting the adolescent stage. It’s the awkward teenage years of the program. You look at Clemson whose coaching staff was hired one year before Amato’s first year at N.C. State. A few years ago they were done and people said that program was dead in the water. Then they beat Florida State and rallied. And now their program is strong. But someone is going to flinch in the ACC, and when they do, whoever it is, is going to set their program back.”