When a new season approaches, it is better to focus on what you have rather than lament what you don't have. This is especially true for Duke football fans in 2026. It is time to move forward.
The first thing Duke has is coaching-staff stability. Head Coach Manny Diaz returns for his third season at the helm, with Offensive Coordinator Jonathan Brewer, Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Patke and Special Teams Coordinator Gabe Infante at his side. In today's college football landscape, maintaining all your coordinators is not a given.
Strength and Conditioning Coach David Feeley is back for his fifth season at Duke. He is considered one of the best in the business, and his continued presence is a boon for the program. Feeley previously worked with Coach Diaz at Miami.
There has been movement with some of the position coaches, so Duke has a new Defensive Ends Coach (Trent Harris), and a new Running Backs Coach (Rodney Freeman II), but overall the staff is remarkably stable. Coaching staff stability is a big plus for a program.
Trent Harris comes to Duke from Illinois, where he coached outside linebackers the past two years. Harris played defensive end at Miami under Manny Diaz.

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