After four years assisting in the establishment of the Division I football program at the University of South Florida and a productive season in the Ivy League at Columbia University, in New York City, Renato Diaz comes back home as FIU's Running Backs Coach. His service at FIU will mark the second time Diaz has assisted in the founding and development of a Division I college football program.

At Columbia University, Diaz was responsible for the development of the running backs, especially standout junior running back Jonathan Reese. While under his tutelage, Reese became the first running back ever to rush for over 1,000 yards in the history of Columbia University football.

Diaz also worked with the Lion's kickoff return unit that finished 29th in the country and 2nd in the Ivy League with a 20.95 yard per return average. His recruiting responsibilities included the states of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Metro D.C. area, Mississippi and Ohio.

Prior to his tenure at Columbia Diaz assisted in the founding and development of the football program at the University of South Florida and was a member of the first-ever football staff at that institution. During his years at USF, Diaz served as Tight-Ends Coach, Special Teams Coordinator and Recruiting Coordinator.
During the formative years of the USF program, Diaz served as USF's offensive assistant and on-campus recruiting coordinator. He assisted the Bulls offensive staff with practice preparation, quality control, opponent scouting, game plan preparation and a variety of administrative responsibilities. Prior to joining the South Florida football program, Diaz had over eleven years of coaching experience while working full time in his field of study.

Diaz earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology USF in 1983 and joined the U.S. Geological Survey in Miami. After three years with the U.S.G.S., Diaz was hired at Texaco Latin America / West Africa Division in FL where he was employed for seven years.
Diaz resides in Coral Gables, FL.