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Deion Sanders Sends Classy Message To Kenny Dillingham After Playoff Loss

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Jan 1, 2025 6:56 PM ET

Deion Sanders was impressed by the effort Arizona State put forth in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday.

The Sun Devils, seeded fourth in the College Football Playoff, were not given much of a chance by the experts of defeating fifth-seeded Texas. Despite being double-digit underdogs, the Big 12 champions pushed the Longhorns to the brink before falling 39-31 in double overtime. In just his second season in Tempe, Kenny Dillingham improved from 3-9 to 11-3 with a conference title and CFP appearance.

Sanders, who did not face Dillingham's team in the Big 12 this season but did beat them in the Pac-12 in 2023, showed his respect for the Arizona State leader on social media after today's game.

"@KennyDillingham You represented all of us from the @Big12 well my brother. We are proud of u and your team. God bless u all. You’re awesome COTY," Sanders tweeted.

Just 34 years old, Dillingham had never been a head coach before on any level before Arizona State hired him in November 2022. Now, he has the program trending upward in a major way, though today's loss will sting for a while.

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 11: Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham looks on before the college football game between the Utah Utes and the Arizona State Sun Devils on October 11, 2024 at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

"Now that it's over, when you can reflect on where these guys have come, it's an incredible testament to the team," Dillingham said postgame, via ESPN's Max Olson. "But golly, this one sucks."

Overall, this was just the sixth season of 11 or more wins in Arizona State history, and the first since the 1996 Rose Bowl campaign. It was also the program's first double-digit win season in a decade.

The hope is that Dillingham is just getting started. On Tuesday, he received a lucrative five-year contract extension from the school that will bump his salary into the top tier of the Big 12.

"It's important that we keep building the momentum across our football program, signaling to the rest of the nation that we got our coach locked up with a long-term extension," Arizona State AD Graham Rossini told The Arizona Republic.

"It gives Kenny about up to 10 years. It's important for longevity. He's talked a lot about wanting to be here. We've always shared that sentiment. That goal. Securing his family. Giving him longevity, rewarding performance and giving him what he needs as far as resources to retain good coaches."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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