Kenny Dillingham, 2, remembers the “exciting” ASU induction

Two years ago, on November 27, 2022, Kenny Dillingham was introduced as the new head coach of Arizona State football.

It was a job that not many people wanted. The cloud of an NCAA investigation still hung and penalties had not yet been imposed. The fan base was frustrated with the management of the program under the previous management.

The Sun Devils were coming off a 3-9 season. The NIL situation lagged well behind that of its conference counterparts and players rotated at a worrying pace.

Dillingham’s first words at that press conference: “I’m home.”

It was a nice thought. The local is coming back and trying to bring national relevance back to the program. Nobody expected it to happen SO quickly.

The Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2) took the practice field Wednesday morning with a chance at a Big 12 Conference title in their sights, just months removed from a second 3-9 season and in last place in the conference this year. They finish the regular season on Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. game at rival Arizona (4-7, 2-6).

A win will likely send the Sun Devils into the Big 12 title game. They are No. 16 in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday.

“It was exciting. That’s all I remember,” Dillingham said when asked about the day he was introduced to the public two years ago. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is real.’ And then I don’t remember much else because it was a really busy day, except for the introductory press conference. After that there was just a lot going on.

That day, Dillingham coined the phrase “Activate the Valley,” which has become his message every day since. It wasn’t planned.

“In the middle of the speech,” he said. “It was a given, you know what I mean? I had this big speech planned and it failed miserably, so…”

The Valley has responded, as evidenced by Saturday’s 28-23 win over BYU in front of a sellout crowd.

Winning brings about good things. Hours before that game, it was announced that offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo and defensive coordinator Brian Ward had been rewarded with three-year contract extensions.

The regular season isn’t even over yet and already a handful of players have announced their returns on social media, including offensive lineman Ben Coleman, who already has three degrees and would be spending a seventh season in college.

The latest was defensive back Javan Robinson, who threw an interception in the final minute on Saturday that helped secure the win.

Everyone says they want to stay here as long as possible because of Dillingham and his vision.

“It’s humiliating. The reality is you want to be somewhere where you want to be with the right people,” Arroyo said. “I came here and told anyone who would listen that I was here because of the people.”

“The opportunity – I know a lot about this place – to get around and be around good people and be in a place where my family can live and thrive, and we’ve been coming here for about 15 years before I lived here “I was back in Wyoming and I have a family life here in Arcadia and it’s a special place at a special time. There’s no reason anyone should ever leave here.”

Ward, who received a one-year extension midway through last season, echoed that sentiment.

“I know with the expansion some people seem to be saying, ‘Oh, he’s going to take it easy. He will feel comfortable. This must be a relief for him,’” Ward said. “When you get to this point in your career, you’re just wired a certain way, so it doesn’t matter. I am very happy for my family. I’m glad to be here at Arizona State today, and I’ll be here tomorrow, and as long as they have me here, I’ll just feel blessed and grateful.”

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Kenny Dillingham, 2, remembers the “exciting” ASU induction

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