Kenny Dillingham snubbed for Notre Dame coach for national award

The award marks the third top coach honor Freeman beat out Dillingham for, placing the trophy next to his Dodd Trophy and George Munger College Coach of the Year Award.

Both coaches led their teams to College Football Playoff this season. Dillingham and Arizona State completely rattled the college football landscape, bouncing back from a 3-9 season to win the Big 12 title and earn a bye in the playoffs. The Sun Devils would lose to Texas in a double-overtime thriller in quarterfinals of the CFP, ending the season at 11-3. Dillingham was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year.

ASU was ranked as the 7th best team in college football in the AP final rankings Tuesday. It’s the first top 10 finish for the Sun Devils this century and matches the team’s highest ranking since 2014.

Freeman was presented the award just two days after losing a tough battle in the National Championship to Ohio State Monday. Notre Dame had an early, ugly upset on their own turf against Northern Illinois at the start of the year and woke up a monster in South Bend, Ind. The Fighting Irish won every game for the remainder of the season — including three playoff wins — until their lucky finally ran out against the Buckeyes. They finished the season 14-2 and, rightfully, the No. 2 team in the country.

He is the first coach of Asian and Black descent to win the award.

“What really makes this special is working with the young people I get the opportunity to lead,” Freeman said accepting the award. “I got into coaching in January 2010 and I was diagnosed with an enlarged heart valve. My football career was over and I wanted to stay close to the game I grew up with and loved.”

The coaches are two of the youngest team commanders in college football. Freeman rounds out the top 10 at 39 years old. Dillingham is the second youngest head coach in the FBS at 34. He is only six months older than Utah State head coach Nate Dreiling. The two are also a pair of the most successful coaches in college football in a very short period of time, seeing Freeman take over the helm at Notre Dame three seasons ago, and Dillingham only being in charge for two years at ASU.

Freeman was selected over Dillingham, Shane Beamer (South Carolina), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Spencer Danielson (Boise State), Rhett Lashlee (SMU), Jeff Monken (Army) and Steve Sarkisian (Texas) for the award.