ASU's Kenny Dillingham is Shaping Modern College Football

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham is one of the brightest minds in college football at any level of experience or level of respect from the outside world.

The 35 year old head coach is entering his third season in the role and has already become one of the best coaches in the nation in an extraordinarily brief period of time.

The 11-win 2024 season has brought mass intrigue back to Tempe - to the tune of ESPN's Rece Davis visiting the football facility to spend a day with Dillingham.

Davis began the conversation by asking Dillingham why the 'game-room' the Sun Devils have within their facilities - which includes a golf simulator, billiards table, and more - is so important to the identity of the program.

"Because winning and losing matters. You better get used to winning and it better piss you off to lose."

He then discussed his philosophy on navigating the modern game from his perspective:

"I think understanding matchups is the key to football, it's the key to every sport. It's understanding strengths and weaknesses of your opponent," this was prior to the head coach discussing his competitive mindset when playing pool - a game that he is self-admittedly not very skilled at.

Dillingham's consistent desire to win is felt throughout the program - his unmatched energy, passion and ingenuity are all factors that have driven the Sun Devils to become the darlings of the Big 12.

Dillingham went on to breakdown the modern landscape of recruiting:

"You can sign whoever you want to sign. If you don't retain them, it doesn't matter. So, it's all about the development.. it's about retention, it's about getting kids who want to be there..."

Dillingham's unique perspectives, ability to be honest with players, and continuous positive outlook on life has shaped the program - there's a reason why the retention rate from the 2024 season was unusually strong. There's a reason why the players believe in the ceiling of the team.

Dillingham and Arizona State are reshaping the modern landscape of college football at a time that it would typically be labeled as improbable to do so in the manner that the Sun Devils are doing it.

Read more on Sam Leavitt being named to the preseason Maxwell Award watch list heading into the 2025 season here, and on David Pollack buying stock on the Sun Devils with just a month before opening kickoff here.