TEMPE, Ariz. — Reality didn’t hit until late Saturday night. Kenny Dillingham, the 32-year-old offensive coordinator at Oregon, had just coached in a disappointing loss at Oregon State. From Corvallis, Dillingham, his wife Bri and their son Kent boarded a private flight to Arizona.
“I think it probably didn’t hit him until we were flying over the downtown (Phoenix area), and it was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. We’re back home,’” Bri Dillingham said.
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Arizona State had offered to put the Dillinghams up in a suite. Dillingham told his new employer they would just stay at home, where all this started 15 years ago. Sports have always been a big part of the Dillingham family. When Kenny was 4, John Dillingham sat with his son on a black leather couch at their Scottsdale home and taught math in a unique way.
“The Cardinals are down by 3, but they just scored a touchdown. Who’s ahead and by how much? And what if the Rams add a field goal?”
Dillingham had a mind for figuring things out. After a knee injury ended his high school football career, he began coaching at Chaparral High, running the varsity’s offense at 21. While attending classes at Arizona State, he shadowed the football program’s offensive coordinator, Mike Norvell, attending meetings, something his father didn’t even know he was doing.
As Dillingham’s career blossomed, taking him to Memphis and Auburn, Florida State and Oregon, one thought remained in the back of his family’s mind: “Wouldn’t it be nice if one day …”
From the day the Arizona State job opened in September, Dillingham had been connected with the job. Given his roots, it was an easy association. For the family, it was hard not to get too excited. “Until something like this actually happens, you still have to pinch yourself and say, ‘Is this real?’” John Dillingham said.
Suddenly, it was. Late Saturday night at his parents’ house, the Dillinghams celebrated with chips and salsa. On Sunday, Dillingham walked into the San Tan Ford Club at Sun Devil Stadium, his first day on the job. Dressed in a dark suit, he sat as school president Michael Crow and vice president of athletics Ray Anderson discussed the search process. Then it was Dillingham’s turn.
He lasted 10 seconds before breaking down in tears.
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Sunday’s news conference was unlike any introduction Arizona State has made in recent memory. It featured a 32-year-old head coach, the youngest in the Power 5, challenging a stagnant fan base. It featured a long-time booster standing up and pledging $1 million to help the cause. It also might have cleared up questions surrounding Anderson and program leadership.
Here are five things you need to know:
Dillingham’s passion and emotion weren’t for show
When Dillingham speaks, the sound doesn’t come from his mouth, it comes from his chest. It’s forceful and convincing, his voice scratchy from 15 years of coaching. On the field, he chases after big plays, running and yelling, the most excited person on the field.
At Auburn, Dillingham once celebrated a recruiting commitment by doing “the worm,” a herky-jerky breakdancing move. Explained Dillingham later, “When you’re not athletic, you got to find some dance moves that you can do. It’s the one move I got.”
On Sunday, Dillingham didn’t even mention his offensive philosophy until the final minutes of the news conference. He didn’t mention that under his watch Oregon ranks eighth in the FBS in scoring (39.7 points per game) and fourth in total offense (507.8 yards per game). Instead, he discussed what it will require to take Arizona State to a higher level.
“The only thing you’re going to get from me, I am who I am,” Dillingham said through tears. “I’m the same person every single day I show up to work. I’m fired up to be here. Fired up to be a Sun Devil. What this place needs to be successful — it’s already been successful, we’ve seen it. The leadership from top to bottom is in line. We need this entire Valley to come together. … We need everything that this Valley has, all in. Because I am.”
Through the search process, Crow and Anderson interviewed Dillingham via Zoom. It unfolded the same way.
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Anderson: “(The passion) jumps off the screen. The thing that was impressive about him is, there was no phoniness. He answered the questions directly without going over to appear cocky for a young guy.”
Crow: “I had earlier assessments and reviews and input from others and so I’m looking at, what is the heart of the person? What is the intellect of the person, and are they who they appear to be? He is exactly who he appears to be.”
The AD isn’t going anywhere
Anderson outlined the search process but didn’t include specifics. The athletic director seemed to take exception to reports that Arizona State was slow to move after dismissing previous coach Herm Edwards in September. “This process in terms of looking ahead started months ago,” Anderson said.
Arizona State used Korn Ferry, a consulting firm, to help with its search. The university also had an internal search committee and asked former players for input on candidates. Former defensive back Darren Woodson recently confirmed to The Athletic that he was contacted. Anderson also said that former offensive lineman Juan Roque and quarterback Brock Osweiler were among those involved.
The consensus, according to Anderson: In the NIL landscape, the new head coach had to relate to the “new-era” student athlete. Energetic. Flexible. Innovative.
Dillingham will start with a standard five-year deal, the maximum the state allows. If the NCAA hands down penalties as a result of the NCAA investigation into recruiting violations, the contract can extend. “It actually may work to his advantage, giving him some additional time,” Crow said. Arizona State did not release Dillingham’s compensation, but his annual salary is expected to be in the $3.8 million range. He made $1 million at Oregon.
Asked about Anderson’s future, Crow told The Athletic the decision to keep the athletic director goes beyond football.
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“Athletics is in a very good position,” Crow said. “Academically, our athletes are graduating in very large numbers. The kinds of coaches we’ve been hiring. (But) we’ve been underperforming in football. We did remodel the stadium, which is a tremendous thing. There’s no public support in any of this. So, overall, net, we’re making great progress. Now this (football) needs to work.
“So I support Ray and the work that he’s been doing and the progress that he’s made. But I’m taking the total view. Most people look at it only from the perspective of one thing.”
Donor pledges $1 million to ASU collective
On his drive to Sunday’s news conference, Nap Lawrence wondered whether Dillingham would retain interim coach Shaun Aguano. The longtime Arizona State booster — a 1962 graduate — had great respect for Dillingham and Aguano. Having both on the same staff, he said, would put him in “hog heaven.”
By the time he reached Sun Devil Stadium, Lawrence had learned that Aguano would be sticking around. He hatched a plan. Since he recently had sold a good portion of farmland, Lawrence decided to give a donation.
Twenty minutes into the news conference, Lawrence stood and announced he would donate $1 million to the Sun Angel Collective, which helps athletes secure endorsement opportunities. Dillingham stood and applauded. The name, image and likeness market is an area in which Arizona State needs a lot of help. “It’s tax deductible, right?” Lawrence said to the room, jokingly.
“I think what (Dillingham) said hits it on the spot,’’ Lawrence said later. “We’ve got more alumni than any other school in America living in Arizona and out of Arizona. There’s a lot more people other than myself that have a lot more money than I do there that are able to do things like that. Even a small gift helps.”
Staff is to be determined
Dillingham wanted to announce during the news conference that he planned to retain Aguano, who went 2-7 as interim coach. (Arizona State finished 3-9.) When no one asked, he simply asked a reporter, “Could you ask me if we’re retaining Shaun Aguano?” When the reporter did as instructed, Dillingham responded with excitement.
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“Yes!”
“Shaun’s done an absolutely remarkable job,’’ Dillingham said. “Anybody who’s ever met him respects him. He brings a joy to you when you see him in the room. And there’s not very many people who can do that.”
Dillingham didn’t disclose the plans for the rest of his staff, but he said the bulk would have Arizona roots and connections. The remaining incumbent assistants likely will learn Monday whether they’re sticking around. Not long after the news conference, the Arizona Football Coaches Association tweeted a message to state high school coaches that Dillingham would be on a zoom call with them later Sunday afternoon.
The first order of business is RELATIONSHIPS.🌵
All HCs received the Zoom link via email!
If you are a high school coach, DM for the link! #AzFCA🏈 pic.twitter.com/NY8BhSZp1a
— AzFCA (@AzFBCoaches) November 27, 2022
“I have a plan for what I want, and sometimes those plans, if you want the best thing you can get, you have to be patient,” Dillingham said. That likely means some of the assistants Dillingham has in mind are still coaching.
Age isn’t everything
Dillingham has been asked about his age at every stop of his career. It’s obvious it’s not his favorite topic. But it is relevant. He is a head coach without head coaching experience. Anderson admitted he initially had those concerns — “Is he really ready?” — but they didn’t last. He said a conversation with Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens helped.
“He was very emphatic,” Anderson said. “He said, ‘Ray, he’s 32, man, but he’s not 32.’ Not in terms of his leadership, in terms of his football acumen.”
Asked about age, Dillingham said it’s about relating to people. While at Auburn in 2019, he told a reporter that his approach is simple. He likes people. He likes finding ways to relate to people. “I think it’s fun,” Dillingham said, pointing out to the reporter that they shared the same hair cut. That’s how he plans to tackle the rebuilding job at Arizona State.
“He’s just always very genuine,” Bri Dillingham said. “It comes from his heart. What he tells you is always the truth.”
(Photo courtesy of Doug Haller)
