Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said Saturday he was never offered the head coaching job at Michigan, pushing back on national reports that linked him to the vacancy in Ann Arbor.
Dillingham agreed to a new five-year deal with Arizona State Sun Devils that raises his pay to an average of about $7.5 million per season and expands the program’s staff payroll to roughly $11 million, among the highest in the Big 12. The agreement showed a strong institutional commitment and effectively ended speculation about his candidacy for Michigan’s opening.
“Michigan’s an unbelievable job with unlimited resources,” Dillingham said. “Somebody’s going to get an unbelievable opportunity … to take over one of the best programs in the country.”
Reports had indicated Michigan contacted or fielded interest from multiple coaches following Sherrone Moore’s firing. Dillingham said those reports overstated the situation. “I never got offered a job,” he said. “None of that ever, ever happened, and it never got to that point.”
Dillingham returned to Tempe in late 2022 after rapid rises as an offensive coordinator at Auburn Tigers, Florida State Seminoles and Oregon Ducks. He led the Sun Devils to the 2024 Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth, then followed with an 8-4 season in 2025.
Michigan’s vacancy came after Moore was fired for cause on Dec. 10 amid alleged off-field conduct. With bowl season and the transfer portal window in three week, Dillingham’s reaffirmed commitment removes a high-profile name from Michigan’s search.
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