Arizona State University head coach Kenny Dillingham moved quickly this week to quiet speculation that he was eyeing higher-profile openings around college football, telling players he plans to return to the Sun Devils next season.

Dillingham popped into several team meetings last week and made his intentions clear, sources told 247Sports, a message he reinforced after Arizona State’s 24-19 win at Iowa State. The coach’s face-to-face reassurance came amid a busy carousel of SEC and Power Five openings that had pegged his name to jobs at places such as Auburn and Florida. 

Arizona State had just beaten Iowa State on the road in a game that featured backup quarterback Jeff Sims setting a school rushing mark for quarterbacks with a 228-yard day and totaling 405 yards of offense in the Sun Devils’ victory. That kind of on-field momentum gives Dillingham cover to tell his dressing room he intends to stay and finish what he’s building. 

Coaching rumors swirl every season, but this one picked up steam because of the number of vacancies and the credible programs doing the hiring. News outlets linked Dillingham to multiple openings, and the chatter forced the Sun Devils’ staff to address it internally.

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For Arizona State players, the message carries weight. Continuity in the staff makes a difference when players aim for bowl eligibility, and recruits watch how programs respond to turnover. If Dillingham follows through, he gives the Sun Devils stability during a stretch of the schedule that will decide their postseason fate. The coach’s pledge also signals confidence from within the program that they can finish the job this season. 

That said, nothing prevents outside offers from arriving; college football is a business of opportunities. That’s a small but meaningful vote of confidence toward his roster and the administration.

If Kenny Dillingham stays, the question becomes whether Arizona State can use that steadiness to convert a promising midseason surge into a signature finish. For now, the locker room can breathe a little easier knowing that their head coach told them he’s not going anywhere.