Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham Wins Athletic Department Honor

It's no secret the impact Kenny Dillingham has had on the Arizona State football program over the last two-plus years.

Dillingham took over a program that was left in ruins by predecessor Herm Edwards when he was hired on November 27, 2022 - the former Oregon OC and Sun Devil alum had a clear vision to improve the program from day one on the job.

A clear vision on rebuilding fan engagement/trust, improving the NIL sphere, and building a coaching staff that could co-exist in harmony were just a small handful of things that Dillingham did to turn the program into Big 12 champions during the 2024 season.

The 11-3 record, Big 12 Coach of the Year honor, and appearance in the College Football Playoff earned Dillingham the yearly 'Frank Kush Coach of the Year' award that is handed out to the most impressive coach within the 26 ASU athletic teams.

From last year's announcement of the award:

"In the middle of June, every Sun Devil head coach casts their vote for the Sun Devil Coach of the Year in honor of Frank Kush.The award – presented around the anniversary of Coach Kush's passing (June 22, 2017) – is one way for each coach to recognize a peer that impressed them the most."

"There are no true guidelines for this honor; coaches can nominate someone who earned any honors, a coach who made an impression in their first year, or simply the nicest coach in the building. Once the nominations are in, one Sun Devil coach earns what one can consider the ultimate show of respect: an award from their peers in the 26-sport department." 

Dillingham is one of the best coaches in both the Big 12 and country at-large despite only posting a 14-12 record after two seasons in Tempe - the building back of the program from rags to riches is something that very few coaches can claim.

Sun Devil athletics and AD Graham Rossini should feel very fortunate that the 35 year-old is likely to be around for the long haul as head coach of the football program that is quickly rising to national prominence.

Read more about how Dillingham is aiding the development of Sam Leavitt into a star player here, and an unconventional approach to recruiting local prospects that could eventually pay off here.

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