The desert is a brutal place for expectations. For years, the vibe around Sun Devil Stadium was, honestly, kinda weird. You had big names, NFL pedigrees, and a whole lot of "New Era" slogans that never actually led to anything beyond mediocre bowl games or, worse, NCAA investigations. But something shifted when Kenny Dillingham took over. It wasn't just that he was young. It was that he actually wanted to be there. Like, really wanted to be there.
He’s the guy who grew up in Phoenix. He’s the guy who went to Arizona State. When he was named the ASU football head coach, it wasn't a stepping stone. It was the destination.
The Dillingham Era: It’s Not Just About Vibes
People love to talk about "energy" in college football. It’s a cliché. But if you watched ASU during that first season under Dillingham, you saw a team that was essentially playing with house money while dealing with a self-imposed postseason ban and a roster that looked like a revolving door. Most coaches would have used that as a built-in excuse to fail quietly.
Dillingham didn't.
He went for it on fourth down when he probably shouldn't have. He called trick plays that made old-school boosters clutch their pearls. He recruited like his life depended on it. Basically, he acted like a fan who suddenly found himself with the headset. That’s why the "Activate the Valley" slogan actually worked. It didn't feel like a marketing firm came up with it in a boardroom; it felt like a demand from a local kid who was tired of seeing his hometown team get pushed around by the rest of the Pac-12—and now, the Big 12.
What the ASU Football Head Coach Inherited
Let’s be real for a second: the situation Herm Edwards left behind was a mess. We’re talking about a program under the shadow of an investigation into recruiting violations during a global pandemic. Key players were hitting the transfer portal faster than you could track them on Twitter. The roster depth was, frankly, terrifying.
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When Dillingham stepped in, he didn't just have to coach football. He had to be a human resources manager, a public relations specialist, and a therapist for a locker room that had forgotten what stability looked like.
He leaned into the transfer portal, sure. Everyone does now. But he did it with a specific focus on "local flavor." Bringing guys back home to Arizona became the priority. It’s a strategy that builds a culture of players who actually give a damn about the jersey they’re wearing. It’s a lot harder to quit on a team when your high school coach and your parents are sitting in the stands every Saturday night.
Tactical Shifts and the Big 12 Jump
The move to the Big 12 changed the math. Suddenly, the ASU football head coach wasn't just planning for road trips to Palo Alto or Seattle. He was looking at a schedule that included grueling trips to places like Stillwater and Morgantown.
Tactically, Dillingham is an offensive mind. He cut his teeth under Mike Norvell. He was the guy behind the scenes at Oregon making Bo Nix look like a Heisman contender again. At ASU, he’s had to be more flexible. He’s dealt with a carousel of quarterbacks—some due to injury, some due to performance—but the philosophy remained the same: play fast, play aggressive, and don't be afraid to look a little unconventional.
One thing people often get wrong about Dillingham is thinking he's just a "players' coach." He’s actually a bit of a film rat. He obsesses over matchups. You’ll see him on the sidelines, headset slightly crooked, screaming his head off, but it’s rarely just emotion. It’s usually because he saw a look from the defense that he knows his team can exploit.
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Recruiting in the NIL Age
Let’s talk money. You can’t discuss a modern college football coach without mentioning NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). Dillingham has been incredibly vocal—sometimes controversially so—about the need for the community to step up. He’s basically told the Phoenix business community: "If you want a winner, you have to fund it."
It’s a blunt approach. Some people hate it. They miss the "amateur" days, which, let's be honest, never really existed anyway. But in 2026, if you aren't playing the NIL game, you aren't playing at all. Dillingham’s honesty on this front has been refreshing. He doesn't sugarcoat the fact that he needs resources to compete with the likes of Utah or Kansas State in this new-look Big 12.
Why the "Homegrown" Factor Actually Matters
There is a specific kind of pressure that comes with coaching at your alma mater. If you fail, you aren't just a fired coach; you're the guy who let your own people down.
Dillingham seems to thrive on that. He’s at every basketball game. He’s at the local high schools on Friday nights. He’s accessible in a way that previous coaches weren't. You don’t feel like he’s looking for the next big job in the SEC. For the first time in a long time, the ASU football head coach feels like a permanent fixture rather than a temporary resident.
The Misconceptions About ASU Football
Everyone thinks ASU is a "party school" that can't win big. That’s the national narrative.
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Dillingham is trying to flip that on its head by leaning into the "Innovation" brand that the university pushes so hard. He wants the football program to be seen as modern, tech-forward, and relentless. It’s not just about winning games; it’s about changing the identity of what it means to be a Sun Devil.
He’s had to deal with the skeptics who say he’s too young. He’s had to deal with the critics who say he’s too emotional. But look at the trajectory. The recruiting classes are getting better. The "buy-in" from the fans is higher than it’s been since the Todd Graham era, maybe even since Bruce Snyder.
How to Evaluate the Role Moving Forward
If you're trying to figure out if the current ASU football head coach is actually "the guy," stop looking at the win-loss column for a second. Look at the roster retention. Look at how many kids are choosing to stay in Tempe rather than bolting for a bigger NIL check elsewhere. That tells you more about the health of the program than a mid-tier bowl game result ever could.
The Big 12 is a gauntlet, but it’s a manageable one. There is no Georgia or Ohio State looming over the conference. It’s wide open. For a coach like Dillingham, that’s an invitation to disrupt the status quo.
Next Steps for Sun Devil Fans and Observers
To truly track the progress of the program under the current leadership, you should keep a close eye on three specific areas over the next twelve months:
- In-State Commitment Rate: Watch the top 10 recruits in Arizona. If Dillingham is landing at least four or five of them consistently, the "Activate the Valley" initiative is working.
- Defensive Transfer Stability: While Dillingham is an offensive specialist, the program's ceiling is determined by its ability to stop the run in the Big 12. Monitor the defensive coordinator's ability to retain veteran linemen.
- The Sun Angel Collective: Keep an eye on the growth of ASU's primary NIL collective. The head coach has tied his success directly to the community's financial involvement; if those numbers dip, the recruiting momentum will likely follow.
Basically, the era of "waiting and seeing" is over. Dillingham has laid the groundwork. Now, it’s about whether that foundation can hold up under the weight of a power conference schedule. It’s going to be loud, it’s going to be frantic, and honestly, it’s probably going to be pretty fun to watch.