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Nov 14 • 8 min read
How Kenny Dillingham Changed ASU Football
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👋 GOOD MORNING Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 -- What a difference a year makes. The memory of Arizona State's 3-9 season under then-first year head coach Kenny Dillingham feels like decades ago, and now the 7-2 Sun Devils head to Manhattan, Kans. this weekend for a showdown against No. 16 Kansas State. Their reward after that game? A home date with the currently unbeaten BYU Cougars on Nov. 30 in what is likely to be an electric night at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. The program seemed to burst onto the scene this season, but anyone who has been following Dillingham and the team's progress isn't as surprised as you'd think. I caught up with PHNX Sun Devils reporter Erik Ruby for a PHNX Daily Q&A session, and he provided great insight into the program, which is where we land today. Finally, a hearty congrats to Kyler Murray, who was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his incredible performance against the Jets. That's the sixth time he's been recognized with the award, surpassing Kurt Warner, Chandler Jones and Patrick Peterson for the most in team history. Side note - This is the second month of the daily newsletter, and yesterday's poll produced the first-ever unanimous choice! Be heard! Make sure to participate in our daily poll at the bottom of the email. On to the show! 📰 LEADING OFF Dillingham Has Transformed Sun Devils FootballThe rumblings were there. When Arizona State hired Kenny Dillingham in 2022, fans were skeptical the then-32-year-old could make an impact. Yes, it was a feel-good story that the ASU grad was returning to his alma mater to foster the type of winning culture everyone has dreamed of for so long. His first season finished 3-9, though, and there didn't appear to be much traction heading into the 2024 season. But, here's the thing: There was. Those who were in (or around) the program saw it. Now everyone else is seeing it, too. We caught up with ASU alum and PHNX Sun Devils reporter Erik Ruby, and here's how he has seen the DIllingham effect .... wait for it, wait for it ... activate The Valley. ⏱️ BECOME A DIEHARD TODAY!
Dillingham Has Fostered a Culture of AccountabilityPB: Erik, thanks so much for taking the time today. Let's start simple: How has Kenny Dillingham changed this program in such a short time? What has he changed? ER: I think the correct response to this is, what hasn’t he changed? It’s night and day. As someone who was attending ASU when Herm Edwards was announced, there was a lot of momentum behind that. There was a lot of belief that was going to work. While maybe the plan, in theory, worked, the execution and the buy-in, and the ability to execute on it was not there. Slowly, but surely, it unraveled to where they had no control. There was no accountability. When all of that ended, the fan buy-in and the player buy-in at ASU was at an all-time low, and they bet on the youngest head coach in college football. Somebody who eats, sleeps, and breathes ASU. It has worked because of two things: Kenny knows football, Kenny can coach football, in fact he’s one of the smartest minds out there. But it also works because he truly, truly cares about the program, the school, the city, the people. He’s genuine, he’s authentic, he’s established a community, he’s established a culture, and he’s done it in record time by only having people here who want to be here. Insulating yourself with people who believe in your message and creating a culture of accountability has led to immense success in the second year. PB: Is he as authentic and genuine as he appears with the media? ER: Literally not even a question. I have talked with him off-air, we’ve had him in-studio, and he’s the same person when the cameras are on or off. You don’t have to take my word for it. Take it from the countless recruits. Take it from the countless people who said I want to be at Arizona State because of how authentic and genuine Kenny Dillingham is. How else would he be able to get transfers and recruits in the building after last season? He answers that question by letting everyone else speak for him. He’d never say it. He shows you. Skattebo Opening Eyes Across the NationPB: Now let's talk about Cam Skattebo. Can you quantify what he means to this team? ER: He is the heart and the soul of Arizona State football, both this year and last year, and I think it does mean more because he was here last year. He’s not some highly-ranked transfer that just chose ASU because he would get a bunch of touches, or walk into playing time. No, he was a zero-star recruit in high school, he transferred from Sacramento State, and he stayed here after having to play punter, quarterback, kicker, and running back during a season with three wins. He stayed here, he worked, and he got better, and that rubbed off on everyone else around him, and honestly, that fired up the fanbase. PB: There's been some dark-horse talk about Heisman. Should he be included in that conversation? ER: He deserves to be in the discussion. I don’t think he will be in the top-four. But part of that, honestly, is simply because of the school he plays for. I know that’s unfair, but more importantly, anyone who watches him has no doubt he is one of the best players on either side of the ball in the country. I think dark horse is the perfect moniker for him. He certainly belongs in the conversation of the best of the best in college football, and that’s the most important thing. PB: Quarterback Sam Leavitt doesn't get as much attention, but what have you seen from him this season? ER: Sam Leavitt is like a mini Kenny Dillingham. When they first met, him and Kenny sat down and just talked about football, and it was the same thing with Marcus Arroyo, the offensive coordinator. You could see this guy has a craving to be really good at what he does, and not only does he have the brain to go along with it, but he's the type of player you want a quarterback to play like. He’s fearless, he has instincts, he’s very athletic, and he has a very strong arm. He still has a lot to get better at, but I think that is still a really big part of Sam. You’ve seen over the season he’s continued to improve and get comfortable, and this offense, at certain moments, has been completely bailed out by him, his instincts, and his playmaking ability. Entire Roster Continues to Step UpPB: What unsung heroes are on this roster that fans should be familiar with? ER: This is a team with a roster full of unsung heroes. There’s been a ton of next-man-up mentality. They’ve dealt with a lot of injuries. Caleb McCullough has stepped up wonderfully in place of Keysaun Elliott when he’s been out, and he’s one of the best defensive players in the country. That said, I don’t think unsung hero comes to mind for one person specifically when it feels like the entire team is overachieving compared to what their expectations were heading into this year. PB: What will the atmosphere be like in two weeks when currently-unbeaten BYU comes to town? ER: The game is already sold out. If they go into it and they’ve beaten Kansas State, they’re easily ranked. BYU will most likely remain unbeaten, they continue to win even through tough circumstances. It would probably be the biggest moment for ASU football in an extremely long time. I’m talking about even before the Todd Graham era. There have been some big moments, but at that point, you’re 8-2, you’re on a path that could end up at the Big 12 Championship if other teams lose. I think Tempe will be absolutely rocking, and to be honest, sometimes it’s hard to get the city like that. I think even if they lose to Kansas State it will be one of the best environments that ASU football has seen in quite some time. PB: Last, but not least -- Obviously this season is already a success with seven wins, but is there anything you're looking for out of this team heading into the final three weeks? ER: You can look back at what you’ve seen through nine games, and it’s unequivocally a success. We had this conversation on PHNX Sun Devils a few games into the season: You have to abandon the expectations that you entered the season with because it’s clearly changed. With those shifted expectations, I hold this team to a higher standard now. Now I’m looking at, how can they be at their best? You look back at that to see if they take advantage of every opportunity, and I think these last three weeks are going to show that. You can’t lose to U of A. Under no circumstances can you lose to the University of Arizona, especially this year, and you need to compete against Kansas State and against BYU. How big of a statement do you want to make to the Big 12? To recruits? To your fans? That’s where these next three weeks and a bowl game come into play. Editor's note: Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the FREE PHNX Daily here, and don't miss out on free, exclusive content about The Valley's top sports stories every morning! 🎟️ ABOUT LAST NIGHT... ⛽ CIRCLE K CIRCLING BACK 💬 THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID
(results to be posted in Friday's newsletter) 👕 GEAR UP 🍻 DON'T MISS OUT |
The PHNX Daily brings you the top sports stories in Arizona every day, delivered right to your inbox! Follow along with all of your beloved AZ sports teams as we bring unique, free content featuring your favorite players, coaches and personalities from throughout the state's sports scene. You can also catch up on the most recent stories from your favorite PHNX writers, check out the most recent podcast from our vast offering of shows, and find all the information needed to see which of your teams are playing on any given day, what time they start, and where you can watch or listen to them. It's all free, delivered to you bright and early each and every morning!