Kenny Dillingham just pulled off the kind of power move that makes you tip your cap and laugh a little, especially if you pay attention to life in the Big 12. Dillingham has officially signed a new contract that’ll pay him an average of $7.5 million per year, and it comes right after Michigan made a legitimate push to try to hire him. So yeah, Dillingham played this thing perfectly.
Since being hired as head coach in 2023, Dillingham has orchestrated an incredible comeback for Arizona State’s program. In his first season, he led the Sun Devils to a 3-9 record before making the jump to the Big 12 and winning the league in 2024. After that, Dillingham became one of the hottest names in the coaching carousel, with everyone wanting to replicate his work.
The speculation generated significant buzz that Michigan was attempting to lure Dillingham away from his alma mater to lead the Wolverines. His name showed up on oddsmakers’ lists, message boards were melting down, and even insiders were starting to wonder if he’d make the jump. After their bizarre saga with Sherrone Moore, Dillingham sat atop the hot board for the Wolverines, yet Arizona State wasn’t just going to step aside.
The tricky part for ASU fans over the last few weeks is that Dillingham didn’t make any big promises about staying or leaving. He just did what he always does, talked about his staff, his team, and how much he loves being in Tempe.
This deal tells us two things. First, Arizona State is actually serious about winning. A lot of programs say it, but few of them back it up like this. Second, Dillingham knew exactly how to play this situation. He let the Michigan noise do its thing, never overplayed his hand, and ended up locking in long-term stability with the kind of resources that can change a program’s trajectory.
Dillingham came out looking like a genius, Arizona State looks like a program ready to level up, and Michigan gets to keep looking. That’s a win all around, unless you’re a Wolverine.
