Kenny Dillingham got his reward on the eve of Arizona State’s biggest game in recent memory.
The Arizona State coach agreed to stay in Tempe for five more years ahead of the team’s game against Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, ESPN reported Tuesday. The exact value of the contract has not been disclosed, but Dillingham’s deal will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the Big 12 and provide a “pathway” to extend the contract to 10 seasons, ESPN added in the report. .
An Arizona State University graduate, Dillingham has risen quickly at his alma mater in just two seasons. The 34-year-old coached the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title in 2024 after being ranked last in the conference in preseason media polls. Coming off a dominant win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game, Arizona State earned a first-round victory in the College Football Playoff and advanced to face Texas in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day.
The former Oregon offensive coordinator was the youngest head coach in the FBS when he took over the struggling Arizona State program last year. The Sun Devils were hit hard by injuries during their first season while playing with the cloud of an NCAA investigation into former coach Herm Edwards’ recruiting practices.
The highly passionate Dillingham pushed all the right buttons this season, leading the team to its first six-game winning streak in the CFP. Dillingham made particularly shrewd moves by landing quarterback Sam Leavitt in the transfer portal and made the most of running back Cam Skattebo, who finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.
At 11-2, Arizona State has its most wins in a season since 1996. It was also the last time the conference won outright, winning the Pac-10 title that year.
Dillingham’s extension looks to continue Arizona State’s strong run in the Big 12 after a successful first year in the conference. According to ESPN, Dillingham’s extension will also increase his commitment to his coaching staff.
Before the extension, Dillingham earned a base salary of $4.05 million. But thanks to Arizona State’s incredible season, he was able to earn more than $2.5 million in bonuses. He could earn $200,000 in bonuses if Arizona State beats Texas in the Peach Bowl.
Dillingham donated a portion of his bonus money to support staff during the regular season, contributing $200,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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