Kenny Dillingham makes a strange request directly after signing his extension

Jason Jones

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Kenny Dillingham makes a strange request directly after signing his extension image

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham made news on Saturday morning by signing a 5-year contract extension to stay with the Sun Devils. Effectively taking him out of the Michigan Wolverines coaching search.

Dillingham choosing to stay at Arizona State was an as expected outcome to most viewers outside of those with Michigan rooting interests. Dillingham is an Arizona State alum who played for the team. Just like a handful of other coaches in good situations, Dillingham leaving ASU was a long shot.

Almost directly after the news of Sherrone Moore’s firing made national headlines, Dillingham was almost immediately being named as a Michigan target. Big name analysts were consistently naming Dillingham and claiming Michigan has to make him say no. As it turned out, Michigan never offered the job to Dillingham.

A few hours after the news of Dillingham’s ASU extension, he addressed the media. During his address he made a very strange request, conceptually speaking. He has been rather vocal since the latter end of the 2025 season about a lack of support from the business leaders in the Phoenix community.

Dillingham is searching for a $20M donor 

In an unrelated recent press conference Dillingham brought up the subject of community support. In that address, he focused more on the idea of individual businesses supporting individual players seems a little more reasonable. “We need to find one of these really rich people in this city to step up and stroke a check and I’ll do everything I can to make you the most famous person in the city” Dillingham said. Later in the clip he puts a number on it. “Stroke a $20M check”.

Dillingham spoke of the city of Phoenix and the lucrative opportunities he believes it has. Reiterating over and over “somebody step up”. For anyone just catching this idea Dillingham has, might view it as coming off like begging. However, this idea of finding ASU Football donors within the many businesses in Phoenix has been an angle Dillingham has pursued for a stretch of time.

Despite Dillingham’s ASU roots it is difficult to see this message to prospective donors as much more than Dillingham saying, I did my part in resigning with the program, now its time for the businesses of this city to do their part.

Coaches are navigating the new revenue share aspect for the first time. $20M for an entire athletic department, spread around however that program sees fit, is not the kind of money that will change a football program’s trajectory. Since deals from local businesses do not count against the revenue share, it's perfectly logical for a coach to lobby for that type of financial support from the immediate community.

The timing of the message to businesses is the strange part. The timing seems odd coming from someone who just signed for $7.5M per season over five years as well as a significant pay increase for his staff. Ask for the money, appeal to businesses, but the timing seems odd. 

Dillingham and the Sun Devils look to bounce back from what was an inconsistent and injury plagued season. Coming off the heels of Arizona State’s first Big 12 title under Dillingham.

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News Correspondent