Miami head coach Manny Diaz addresses Bryan Pata murder case

Former Miami football player Rashaun Jones was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday, ending a 15-year-long wait in the previously unsolved case of Bryan Pata’s murder, and current Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz addressed the news Thursday.

Pata, a former defensive lineman for the Hurricanes, was shot in the back of the head by his then-teammate on Nov. 7, 2006 while walking from his car to his apartment building. The Miami-Dade police ruled the shooting to be homicide, but the case remained open until Aug. 20, 2021, 15 years after the incident.

Diaz was asked about the Pata case in a press conference, and though he declined to “speak for their family,” he did mention his conversations with Edwin Pata.

Edwin, Bryan’s brother, now serves as the Hurricanes’ assistant director of recruiting.

“I did speak with Edwin today; it’s important to respect their privacy at this time,” Diaz said. “It’s been a very emotional 15 years. They are thankful for the people who are responsible for securing the arrest, and really, I’ll just leave it at that. When they’re ready to make a statement, I think they will. Our thoughts are with the Pata family, because we know how great Edwin is, we’ve gotten to know his family and we’ve got a lot of love for them.”

Hours after Jones was arrested and charged in Ocala, Florida on a homicide warrant obtained by the Miami-Dade police, Edwin Pata changed his profile picture on Twitter to a photo of Bryan holding his high school diploma.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/SUd14a0wwi

— Ed Pata (@CoachEd_Pata) August 19, 2021

Coach Diaz was then asked whether his current players were discussing the incident and subsequent arrest, to which he quickly expressed that he was not aware of ongoing discussion.

“I wouldn’t know all the private conversations,” he said, before moving on from the subject. “I’m not sure about that.”

Bryan reportedly told Edwin shortly before the incident that Jones threatened to shoot him, and Edwin strongly encouraged his brother to report it to then-head coach Larry Coker. The subsequent police report says that Bryan never told the coaching staff.

When asked about the development, Edwin Pata told the Miami Herald he had “mixed emotions.”

A group of former Miami football players spoke on-record about the arrest Thursday, expressing strong emotions of the resolution.

“This… this is crazy,” one former Hurricane, defensive end Eric Moncur, said. “Finally, Bryan’s family can get some closure. But my own teammate? Like… damn.”

Pata was a 6-foot-4, 272-pound pass rusher who played in 32 games, starting 15, across his first three seasons with Miami. Slated to take over as a full-time starter his senior year, he had amassed 73 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, 26 quarterback pressures and two fumble recoveries. He was a projected second- or third-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.