The coaching carousel has never been crazier than in 2025, and it seems like it is only getting wilder following big news on Saturday involving Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham.
Dillingham, who has been at the forefront of the past 48 hours of rumors linking him to the open head coaching seat of the Michigan Wolverines following Sherrone Moore’s firing, appears as if he is close to rebuking the Big 10 powerhouse and staying in the desert with the Sun Devils.
Per 247Sports’ Sun Devil Source, Dillingham and Arizona State are “close” to an agreement that will keep one of college football’s best young coaches at the school that he led to the College Football Playoff in 2024.
More news: Future First-Round QB Fuels Transfer Portal Buzz After Skipping Team Gala
More news: Alabama Loses Coach Before College Football Playoff vs Oklahoma
The two sides have reportedly been in contact for two weeks over a contract extension since the end of the season. Since Moore’s removal, Dillingham’s name has been talked about extensively as being the next head coach of the Wolverines, but Arizona State has been steadfast in keeping him in Tempe for the foreseeable future.
Although Dillingham will receive an extra $200,000 raise for his 2025 season with the Sun Devils if they win 8 games, which will boost his yearly salary to $6 million, one of the sticking points for Dillingham is a raise in compensation without any incentive-laden checkmarks.
If Arizona State and Dillingham can come to an agreement, it would be a gigantic boon for the Sun Devils, as they are projected to lose star quarterback Sam Leavitt to the transfer portal when it opens in January.
Dillingham is set to coach the Sun Devils on the final day of 2025 on Dec. 31 against the ACC champion Duke Blue Devils in the Sun Bowl.
