Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham finds himself at the center of it after his name surfaced in connection with openings at LSU and Penn State. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and On3’s Pete Nakos both listed Dillingham as a potential replacement for Brian Kelly at LSU, while his name has circulated around the Penn State job as well.
When a reporter asked him about The Athletic article and whether he’s told his agent to ignore inquiries, Dillingham didn’t hesitate with his answer.
“I’m trying to win as many games as I can here. That is my number one focus is our players. Uh, our football team, everything about us. Uh, that simple. Like I am so singularly focused on us to win football games, to become a better football team. Uh, you know this season like that’s my singular focus,” Dillingham said during his media availability.
Dillingham led Arizona State to the Big 12 Championship and a College Football Playoff berth last season, turning around the program, as the team had gone 3-9 before his arrival. He’s done this at his alma mater, where he has a deeper connection than most coaching situations.
The Sun Devils extended his contract after last year’s Peach Bowl run through Dec 31, 2029, raising his base salary from $4.1 million to $5.8 million.
When asked if he finds the coaching speculation flattering or distracting, Dillingham called it “nothing” and “useless”. He compared the current state of college football to a reality show, telling his players not to get lost in external noise that isn’t real. “What’s real is in our building,” he told them.
The stakes surrounding these openings are massive. LSU is paying a $54 million buyout to Brian Kelly, while Penn State paid out $49 million to James Franklin. Both programs are willing to invest heavily in their next head coach, but Dillingham’s public stance suggests he’s not interested in being part of that conversation right now.
Arizona State Fans Split on Whether Kenny Dillingham Will Stay Long-Term
Despite Dillingham’s emphatic declaration of focus on Arizona State, the reality of major programs coming with checkbooks has, in a way, trained fans to doubt every public statement a coach makes about staying put.
One fan captured the sentiment perfectly: “They all say dat before they leave,” wrote Robert McVol on X, (formerly Twitter). It’s a pattern college football fans know too well: words about commitment often mean less than the next contract offer.
They all say dat before they leave
— Robert McVol (@vol_equalizer) October 28, 2025
One fan acknowledged the tension many Sun Devils feel about the situation. “While we all know that Kenny is loyal to ASU, it would be insane for him not to consider these types of openings in college football. Insane. I’m a Sun Devil through and through. ASU isn’t Penn St though. it just isn’t. I hope ASU is able to lock him up, but I wouldn’t feel any…” wrote Augie McCrae.
Another fan pointed out the predictable nature of these press conference responses. “What coach would express interest in another job at a press conference of course he’s going to squash it,” Steve Bouboulis wrote.
Some fans remain doubtful that Dillingham truly shut down the speculation. “Dude we have been there. This is not shutting it down. I can’t fault him at all. ASU has all the opportunities though. Backing, money, easier pathway to playoffs. Kenny may be truthful given his legacy there. But based on this it doesn’t see like he shut it down,” Ducked wrote.
One supporter pointed to Dillingham’s emotional connection to the program as reason to believe he’ll stay. “This guy got emotional in his introductory press conference, and worked his entire college career to get to ASU, and people really think he’s going to leave. Only way Kenny leaves is if he’s told to by ASU,” BFLO commented.
The debate around Dillingham’s future will continue as long as Arizona State keeps winning games in the Big 12. The coming weeks will reveal whether his singular focus hold up against the relentless pull of the coaching carousel.
