Sep 6, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz reacts during the third quarter against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Duke Coach Talks Upcoming Wolfpack Matchup and Intense Rivalry

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 7:00 AM ET

RALEIGH, N.C. -- As NC State tries to stay undefeated on Saturday, its opponent will be battling back from a disappointing two-loss start to the season. Manny Diaz and the Duke Blue Devils faced stiff competition in two of their first three games, dropping a pair to Illinois and Tulane.

Doeren and the Wolfpack have struggled against the Blue Devils over the last six seasons, only winning one game back in 2020 before losing back-to-back games to Duke. The State head coach knows the challenge his team faces.

Like Doeren, Diaz also knows how improved this NC State roster has looked throughout the early portions of the 2025 season. The Duke coach spoke to the media on Wednesday to discuss the matchup one last time before Saturday.

Wolfpack Roots

Diaz got his start in Raleigh. In the early 2000s, Diaz served in a few different roles at NC State as a member of longtime coach Chuck Amato's staff. Years later, Diaz still remembers his time with the Wolfpack fondly.

"(Amato) was like a mentor to me and got to see firsthand some really valuable lessons on program building during his time in Raleigh," Diaz said. "When people can overstate the importance of a person in someone's life, I cannot overstate that I am only here because of Chuck Amato."

Rivalry Renewed

Once an annual rivalry, the Duke/NC State matchup faded from prominence in the early 2000s following the expansion of the ACC. Over the last five years, there's been a renewed interest in playing the game more frequently by the conference and the two universities.

"This should be an annual game. I think it was when I was at State is when the league went to divisions when we added Virginia Tech and those people, and so we stopped playing Duke," Diaz said. "I think it's great for the Triangle. I think it's great for the area. It's great for the state of North Carolina."

New Year, New Pack

The improvements made by the team from Raleigh haven't gone unnoticed by Diaz and his staff. The coach expressed nothing but respect for his upcoming opponent.

"They had to thrust a very young quarterback into a very difficult situation a year ago. And you can see now just the, a full off-season program, stronger physical development," Diaz said. "You can see mental development. Certainly they're running the football much better, they're committed to running the football better, but they are really, really talented."

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This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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