ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham on last two Sun Devils seasons
Arizona State football head coach Kenny Dillingham explains how far the Sun Devils have come after their 23-7 loss to rival Arizona.
As Michigan football coach rumors and speculation continue to swirl around Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, many on social media have brought up previous comments from the ASU football coach as an indication that he will remain with the Sun Devils in Tempe.
What has Dillingham, an ASU alum, said about remaining ASU’s coach?
What does it mean now?
Check out some previous comments from Dillingham as the Michigan football coaching search heats up.
Do they offer clues as to whether Dillingham could accept the job to coach the Wolverines, if offered?
Kenny Dillingham says Arizona State ‘is home’
On Nov. 15, Dillingham addressed reports linking him to Penn State, Florida and other coach openings.
“I was never leaving, I never said I was leaving — this is home,” Dillingham told the media. “You have to continue to push, and my job running the program is to push and push and push until you can’t push anymore. And if I didn’t do that, I’d be cheating my players. I’d be cheating my staff. I’d be cheating the fan base. I’d be cheating everybody in the city. I’d be cheating the local businesses that feed off of us winning, and then they sell more beer. I’d be cheating everybody.”
Kenny Dillingham says ‘singular focus’ is on Arizona State
On Oct. 27, Dillingham addressed how his focus was on building the Arizona State program.
“I’m trying to win as many games as I can here,” Dillingham said. “That is my No. 1 focus, our players, our football team — everything about us. That simple. I am so singularly focused on us, to win football games, to become a better football team this season. That’s my singular focus.”
He had even more to say.
“We live in a reality show, where everybody in here is the main character — or not the character,” Dillingham said. “Last year, we were the sleepers, and it’s a great story. ‘Wow, what a great twist to the show!’ This year, it’s, ‘Put them on a pedestal, and we’re going to make somebody fall.’ …
“I tell our guys, ‘If you get lost in people making you the reality show, this thing is going to be miserable for you as a player, because it’s not all real.’”
Kenny Dillingham posts, then deletes quote about ‘destination addiction’
Late last month, Dillingham posted, then deleted a post about “destination addiction” that was falsely attributed to Denzel Washington, appearing to take a shot at Lane Kiffin, who had taken the LSU job and was leaving Ole Miss.
The quote said: “Beware of destination addiction, a preoccupation with the idea that happiness is in the next place, the next job, or even with the next partner. Until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, it will never be where you are.”
Kenny Dillingham says his situation at Arizona State ‘is special’
On Nov. 11, Dillingham addressed taking other jobs on a podcast with David Pollack.
“Our guys know what I am about,” he said. “Our guys know I am born and raised here. My next-door neighbor is my sister. … I just left dinner with my parents, who are three doors down from me. Our players know the dynamic, and the situation I have here is special. I recruited all these guys here. They know the situation. So, some things are better left unsaid.”
Kenny Dillingham says Arizona State is where he wants to be
On Dec. 10, just before the Michigan football job opened, Dillingham addressed rumors about him leaving for another school on the Travis Take Two Podcast.
“I made it very clear where I wanted to be to all those people,” Dillingham said. “The one thing I can say with a straight face and I can feel great about: During our football season, I talked to zero people about any other job.”
He added: “I know that’s not industry standard. I have a lot of respect for our football team. These guys chose to be here. They didn’t just go take the most money and leave. After last year’s season, they wanted to be here. It’s my responsibility to do the same thing to them. That’s just what I believe in.”
What do Kenny Dillingham’s previous comments about Arizona State mean?
Dillingham has reiterated many times that he isn’t leaving ASU, his alma mater.
But that was before the Michigan job opened up, a job that would offer a lot of resources and could be intriguing to the Sun Devils coach.
Of course, if he wasn’t interested in overtures from LSU and Florida, among others, the Michigan job isn’t much different.
Is Arizona State “special” enough to keep the Sun Devils coach? Is “home” enough for him to decline potential coaching overtures from Michigan?
Stay tuned.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. Sign up for azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing.
