With the penultimate practice week wrapped and Colorado up next, Arizona State looks locked in. Kenny Dillingham sounded all-in on the Sun Devils, but his name keeps popping up in the coaching streets. Conveniently enough, ASU drops a major cash move that might cool down all that job-market chatter real quick.

On November 21, 247Sports’ Chris Karpman tweeted, “ASU announced that boosters Mike and Nancy Friend made a significant financial contribution to enable the creation of “The Greg Powers Endowed Men’s Hockey Head Coach” as the AD’s first head coaching endowment. Sources: ASU is actively working to replicate this with other sports.”

Sun Devil Hockey just gained two clutch teammates off the ice. The program has shot upward from Oceanside’s teardown to Mullett Arena’s takeover. With NHL alums, a first-rounder in the books, and a team redefining desert hockey, the energy is sky-high. And thanks to a culture built by Greg Powers. ASU Hockey wooed Mike and Nancy Friend, whose generosity made “The Greg Powers Endowed Men’s Hockey Head Coach” a milestone moment. This might be a good enough reason to lock in Dillingham. 

The head coach never allowed the rumor to grow. Rather, he emphasized his commitment to Arizona State, claiming, “I never said I was leaving. This is home.” However, it was normal for Dillingham to come off as the hot target in the job market. Dillingham might be only 35, but he’s moving like a veteran ace. He stacked up a 21-15 record at ASU, a 2024 Big 12 title, and a CFP trip. He flipped a 3-9 mess in 2022 into a national threat, snagging Big 12 Coach of the Year in the process.

Dillingham’s road back to ASU ran through Memphis, Auburn, FSU, and Oregon, where he kept stacking wins and clout. That kind of early-career heat has put him on the radar for gigs at LSU, Florida, Auburn, and Penn State. With offers floating around, Dillingham’s current Sun Devil deal feels like it’s lagging behind his value. 

James Franklin bagged a $8,500,000 salary. Cut to Dillingham. He signed a five-year extension in January, which bumped his salary to $7,442,000 annually, with $29 million owed and incentives that could stretch the deal to 10 years. Of all the job talk, the SEC is where Dillingham’s stock is spiking hardest.

The quarterback dilemma adds to Kenny Dillingham’s flip talks

Adding fuel to the fire, reports surfaced that ASU star QB Sam Leavitt is eyeing the transfer portal after the season. On3 and The Athletic called Dillingham’s quarterback’s return as “doubtful.” But the Leavitt camp fired back fast. His brother and agent, Dallin, denied the buzz, claiming, “that’s not where things are right now … he’s still deciding what he wants to do.”

The clock’s ticking for Arizona State to woo its quarterback before the transfer portal opens on January 2. However, can they really count on Dillingham to woo Leavitt back? Problems lie there, too. On November 21, LouisianaSportsDotNet tweeted, “🚨NEW: LSU coaching odds shift as Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham emerges as new favorite 🏈🐯.” Going by the latest odds to replace Brian Kelly, Dillingham sits at the top with +300 odds. 

LSU’s coaching hunt just got spicy. Updated BetOnline.ag odds show Kenny Dillingham soaring past Nick Saban to grab the top spot on the Tigers’ radar. His odds swing, vaulting from 20/1 to 3/1, marks the biggest power shift of the week. The line isn’t pretty, but the trend is telling; even big names like Lane Kiffin are dipping. The Ole Miss head coach’s odds have dipped to 700, despite the Tigers’ projected $15 million move. Is ASU bracing for a Dillingham departure, or did their financial flex just bolt him in place?