Before the Sun Devils left Tempe, offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo discussed what attracted him to Arizona State. He said he felt an alignment from upper administration. He liked head coach Kenny Dillingham’s recruiting pitch. This seemed odd considering Arroyo was hired in December 2023, when Arizona State was coming off a three-win season and facing NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations under former coach Herm Edwards.

When asked about it, Arroyo admitted it was a dark time for the program, but said he did his homework and made some calls. And he liked Dillingham’s vision.

Arroyo may have noticed this long before anyone else. From school president Michael Crow on down, the Arizona State program appears to be more aligned than it has been in years. In November, Arizona State extended Arroyo and defensive coordinator Brian Ward to three-year extensions. Late Tuesday night, just before the clock struck midnight, athletic director Graham Rossini told fans at a rally at Arizona State that the school had reached an agreement with Dillingham.

Dillingham has long called this his dream job, but the five-year extension, which will make the 34-year-old one of the better-compensated Big 12 coaches, shows Arizona State’s commitment to football, a move the school is making was hesitant to do so far.