When Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham took the head coaching job at his alma mater, he made it clear that he didn’t view the Sun Devils as a stepping-stone gig.
Three years ago, a teary-eyed Dillingham sat in front of local media, struggling to get his words past the lump in his throat, as he tried to verbalize what it meant to him to land his “dream job” at just 32.
“This is literally home. Home,” Dillingham, a Valley native, told reporters at his opening press conference. “I say that because this place is special. This state is special.”
It’s no surprise Kenny Dillingham’s name is coming up for other major CFB jobs.
He’s a great coach, but part of what makes him special is he’s doing it at Arizona State. Not saying it’s impossible he leaves, but you don’t say this and leave in Year 3.pic.twitter.com/i9MCvEgOi6
— Anthony Totri (@Anthony_Totri) October 28, 2025
Quick success has put Dillingham in the spotlight again, as speculation surrounding Power Four openings at schools including LSU, Florida and Penn State often includes the ASU coach’s name.
“He’s definitely got himself on a lot of people’s radar,” said Bruce Feldman, a college football national reporter for Fox Sports and The Athletic. “In terms of (athletic directors) and different things. … He’s one of a handful of head coaches who I think their phones are probably going to ring.”
Throughout his short tenure at the helm in Tempe, the passion rooted in Dillingham’s childhood trips to then-Sun Devil Stadium hasn’t dissipated. Whether it’s at press conferences, practices or events, his authenticity still emanates.
Given Arizona State’s rapid ascent from a program in the gutter on the heels of back-to-back 3-9 seasons to a team hoisting the Big 12 championship trophy in 2024, it is not surprising Dillingham’s name has been floated among those who could be considered for some of the top positions available.
When asked Monday about the numerous openings around the country, he shifted the focus away from his future and toward this season’s team.
“I’m trying to win as many games as I can here,” said Dillingham, whose 5-3 Sun Devils take on 5-3 Iowa State Saturday in Ames, Iowa. “That is my number one focus – is our players, our football team, everything about us. (It’s) that simple. I am so singularly focused on us to win football games (and) to become a better football team this season.”
With only a few weeks left before the postseason, several schools have begun their searches for their next head coach.
Although Dillingham might not be actively seeking a new job, it doesn’t mean that other high-profile programs won’t come calling. But is making the jump to a school in the Southeastern Conference or Big Ten even worth Dillingham’s consideration?
Sure, a university might be able to offer Dillingham a contract that far surpasses his $7.4 million base salary at ASU, or promise him more resources, but his path to success may be easier if he stays in Tempe.
“Whether it’s LSU or if Ole Miss comes open, those places have more history of sustained success, but it might not be a better job,” Feldman said. “Because clearly he has shown that you can get to the (College Football) Playoff from there at ASU.
“He has a good job. He’s elevated the job in the short time he’s been there. It’s got a path to the playoff, which might be an easier path through the Big 12 than if he were to go to Ole Miss or LSU or someplace else.”
Success came fast for the once-youngest head coach in college football.
Prior to Dillingham’s arrival at ASU, the program hadn’t played in a New Year’s Day bowl game since 1997 – a 20-17 loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
And after leading his Sun Devils all the way to the Big 12 mountaintop and an appearance in the Peach Bowl in just year two at the helm, it is clear that the hype train surrounding his Sun Devils arrived ahead of schedule.
At just 35, Dillingham will have plenty of chances to entertain offers from traditional powers in the sport during the offseason.
But with a noticeably more engaged fan base and an administration that has displayed improved commitment to elevating its resources in an effort to compete with some of the nation’s top schools, there is an opportunity to continue to build its alma mater into a program that consistently competes to win the conference.
“Within the next three years, there will be other big jobs that come open,” Feldman said. “You can clearly get to the playoffs from Arizona State in the Big 12, and you’re in a place, I think, that has very good leadership in the conference in (commissioner Brett) Yormark. … In some ways, (ASU is) pretty well positioned, but they certainly need to step up resource-wise if you’re in leadership at Arizona State to give him probably what he thinks he needs to take the next step.”
Still, money talks.
In 2024, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer made the jump from the West Coast to the Southeast, inking an eight-year $87 million agreement with the Crimson Tide. This season, DeBoer is set to make $10.25 million before any incentives kick in.
Meanwhile, Dillingham will earn a base salary of $7.4 million this season – the second-highest base salary in the Big 12 – with the extension he signed in January running through 2029 and including a bevy of possible bonuses. He has financial incentives for reaching landmark win totals that extend up to $8 million and can trigger an extension of one additional year, up to 10 in total, for every six-win season.
Additionally, although ASU’s name, image and likeness backing continues to grow, it still fails to match the resources available at some of the schools with coaching openings during this hiring cycle.
Even in the Big 12, Texas Tech spent $28 million in NIL money this past offseason to bring the top talent in the transfer portal to Lubbock, On3 insider Pete Nakos reported.
Dillingham and his program have a ways to go if they hope to catch up, but as the coaching market continues to heat up with more big-name opportunities, ASU’s coach remains focused on this season.
“I find (rumors) nothing, to be honest,” Dillingham said. “It’s useless. I told our guys today, we live in a reality show. … You better not get lost in the show, you better be who you are and be grounded.”
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