Kenny Dillingham Makes Bold Claim About Arizona State's 'Blue-Blood' Potential

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated May 31, 2025 3:32 PM ET

Arizona head coach Kenny Dillingham is entering new territory after leading his alma mater to a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth last season.

The former Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon offensive coordinator had never held a head coaching role before taking the helm of the Sun Devils ahead of the 2023 season.

And that first season was a tough pill to swallow, as Arizona State won just three games. But things looked completely different in Year 2.

Dillingham's Sun Devils went on to post an 11-3 record (the first 11-win season since 1996), captured the Big 12 championship in their first season in the conference and made the playoff for the first time in school history.

The rise to success, if sustained in 2025, will likely made Dillingham a coveted name in the coaching carousel. He signed a contract extension through 2029 after the 2024 season.

However, Dillingham claimed that the Sun Devils have what it takes to be a "blue-blood" and appears to be committed to building his alma mater into a consistent contender.

“You can build something very, very unique,” he said via On3's Steve Wiltfong. “Every 10 years, a team shows up on the map, and they’re a blue-blood to the next generation. They’re not a blue-blood to the people my age, but they’re a blue-blood to the 10-year-olds, the 11-year-olds and the 12-year-olds who you’re eventually going to recruit."

Dillingham went on to name Oregon and Clemson – perennial powers that rose to the top of college football in a short time frame – as examples of what Arizona State football wants to become.

“You have Clemson this last cycle, from 2010 to 2020," he said. "They just showed up. People think they’ve been around forever. You have Oregon from 2000 to 2010. You can go back in history and figure out which teams have shown up in which era. There hasn’t been a team in this era, in the 2020s."

The question remains of how the Sun Devils can sustain the winning trend. Major contenders, like Oregon and Clemson, recruit with the best in the country. Arizona State did make improvements in that area in the 2025 cycle (No. 19 nationally from No. 45 in 2024).

The Sun Devils won't return star tailback Cam Skattebo in 2025, but they do return star quarterback Sam Leavitt and the most production in the nation other than Clemson.

The 2025 season will open against Northern Arizona on Aug. 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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