Arizona State football coach: Oregon's Kenny Dillingham 'leader in clubhouse'
The Arizona State football coach speculation continues and a lot of the chatter is centering around Oregon's offensive coordinator.
www.azcentral.com
Arizona State football coach: Oregon's Kenny Dillingham 'leader in clubhouse'
The Arizona State football coach speculation continues and a lot of the chatter is centering around Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham as the Sun Devils' next coach.
Dillingham, 32, has a lot of Arizona ties.
He is from Scottsdale, where he attended, played, and later was an assistant coach at Chaparral High School. He is also an ASU graduate and was an offensive assistant for the Arizona State football team in 2014-15.
More:Arizona State football coach speculation swirls around Oregon coordinator Kenny Dillingham
CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd recently wrote that Dillingham was the "leader in the clubhouse" for the Arizona State coaching job.
He wrote: "Watch for Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham to get a good look. ASU may fall into one of the best hires of the cycle. The talented Dillingham seems to be the leader in the clubhouse, but you never know with an administration that got rid of Herm Edwards then retained the AD who hired him (Ray Anderson). Dillingham, 32, is a proven commodity despite his relative youth. His quarterback, Bo Nix, may get a Heisman Trophy invite. Dillingham would be given all kinds of resources to turn around the Sun Devils. In the new Pac-12 (without USC and UCLA), why can't ASU compete for a playoff spot every year?"
247Sports reported that Dillingham has talked with Arizona State about the ASU position.
Chris Hummer wrote: "Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham has had discussions with power-brokers at Arizona State about its vacant head coaching job, multiple sources tell 247Sports. This is Dillingham’s first season with Oregon following a two-year stint with Florida State. The Ducks’ offense is thriving in Dillingham’s debut as a primary play-caller. Oregon ranks sixth nationally in yards per play and fourth nationally in points per game."
More:Arizona State vs. Arizona picks, predictions, odds: Who wins Territorial Cup football game?
Football Scoop reported that Dillingham starts the ASU football coaching candidates list.
John Brice wrote: "No Arizona State list starts without Kenny Dillingham. He’s an Phoenix, Arizona, native with deep and direct ties to the Sun Devils’ program and he’s orchestrated one of college football’s top offenses week after week after a season-opening loss to top-ranked Georgia in the first-ever game for Dan Lanning as a head coach. An ASU grad who also coached prep football at Arizona powerhouse Chaparral, Dillingham also has coached previously at his alma mater, Arizona State, and coordinated offenses now at Memphis, Florida State and Oregon."
Athlon Sports wrote that Dillingham made sense for Arizona State.
Cameron Flynn wrote: "After brief stops at Auburn, Memphis, and Florida State, Dillingham was hired at Oregon to work under Dan Lanning in December of 2021. In 2022, his first season as the team's primary play-caller, Oregon's offense has taken a sizable leap. The Ducks currently rank sixth nationally in yards per play and fourth-best in terms of offensive scoring output. With Arizona State's coaching search limited by pending NCAA investigations, hiring a first-time head coach such as Dillingham could make sense for both parties."
More:Arizona State vs. Arizona schedule, TV: How to watch Territorial Cup college football game
