Kenny Dillingham is nearing the start of year number three at the helm of his passion project – being the head football coach at Arizona State University.
Dillingham navigated NCAA sanctions, an anti-progress AD in Ray Anderson, a quarterback room that was depleted by injuries, and an incorrect OC hire in Beau Baldwin in 2023.
The unfortunate circumstances resulted in a 3-9 season.
The resulting fallout included star WR Elijhah Badger transferring to Florida and a slight reshuffling of a coaching staff that was typically well-received.
Dillingham struck gold twice – first by hiring former UNLV head coach Marcus Arroyo as OC and bringing in little-known dual threat QB Sam Leavitt via Michigan State.
The changes resulted in a first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff for a program that has generally experienced more positive compared to negative over its existence.
The goal is to reach heights that are even more ambitious – at least according to Dillingham in a talk with Pete Nakos of ON3.
Dillingham truly believes that the pride of Tempe, Arizona can become the next hotspot in the college football landscape:
“You can go back in history and figure out which teams have shown up in which era. There hasn’t been a team in this era.”
Arizona State has historically been a fairly quality program as previously mentioned – they have a top 25 winning percentage of all time, along with producing numerous quality NFL players and being a relatively large-scale brand.
Despite this, the last 30 years have been underwhelming despite the school and program possessing many parts that are needed to succeed.
Now, it seems as if Dillingham is the right man to put all of the resources to maximum use – while Oregon, Clemson and other recent powerhouses are a lofty goal to reach, it does feel attainable – even to former Heisman Trophy contender Cam Skattebo.
“Coach Herm, you know kind of shot down the program a little bit, it kind of like went a whole different direction and then they hired coach (Kenny) Dillingham, and I mean, you might see a national championship within the next 10-15 years. They’re going to be really good.”
The Sun Devils are set to kick off the 2025 season on August 30 against Northern Arizona – read more about why the offense will be an improved unit despite the loss of Skattebo here.
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