Kenny Dillingham is the King of Taking Accountability

In his postgame remarks, Dillingham didn’t mince words. He said the Utes just out‑coached and out‑played Arizona State. He didn’t blame the loss on youth or bad luck; instead, he attributed it to preparation, strategy, and execution, stating that the buck stops with him. That’s not talk. That’s leadership.

There’s a difference between admitting flaws quietly and standing in front of the media and owning them publicly. Coaches duck that line all the time, especially when the loss is ugly. But Dillingham walked right across it. He said, “I’m responsible for every single person in this organization. So it doesn’t matter if we miss a tackle or if there’s a bad scheme, we got outcoached.” He didn’t try to divide responsibility. He didn’t deflect. He accepted the full weight.

That kind of candor also protects, in a strange way, everyone who works under him. When a coach acknowledges their own failure first, it gives players and assistants room to regroup, to rebuild, to respond. It builds trust. It keeps the message clear: we win or we learn. And it signals that shortcuts and excuses won’t be tolerated.

Am I saying this absolves Arizona State of faults? Absolutely not. There were missed tackles, breakdowns in the front, and a Utes offense that executed at a high level. The margin was wide. But Dillingham’s posture matters now more than the margin. In the glare of criticism, he chose courage over comfort.

In the Big 12, coaches talk a lot of noise. Very few talk like this. Very few own the moment like this. That’s why it’s refreshing. It’s bold, and it says something about who Dillingham wants to be. He’s framing what’s next not by hiding but by proving. If he holds to this standard, Arizona State’s future, even after a rough Saturday, could be more resilient because of it.