The rumor mill hasn’t even slowed down in the two days after Michigan suddenly fired head coach Sherrone Moore. The Wolverines’ head coaching position quickly became the most talked-about opening in college football, with analysts and insiders racing to name the next face of the program. And ASU’s Kenny Dillingham was being pushed as the perfect fit for the job. So when ASU quietly pushed back the start time of its bowl practice, it didn’t take long for fans to connect the dots.

Why ASU Delayed Bowl Game Practice 

If there was ever a reminder of how fast rumors travel in college football, this was it. One small adjustment to New Year’s Eve showdown against Duke in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl prep schedule with moving practice from 9 a.m. to 10:45 was enough to send fans spiraling into full speculation mode. But the reality is far more mundane.

In a recent X post, Chris Karpman reported, “ASU’s practice start was moved from 9 to 10:45 start. Don’t stress. Kenny Dillingham will be there. He’s been in town the entire time. Last night he was seen at the Fairmount Scottsdale Princess checking out the Christmas scene with his son.”

The answer, at least for now, appears far less dramatic than the internet wants it to be. There isn’t an emergency interview taking place behind closed doors. The HC was really seen on Thursday night at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, enjoying the Christmas lights with his son.

Top Stories

Forced to Leave FOX, Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman Says ESPN Is Like ‘U.S. Government’ & Clearly Distinguishes the Two Networks

$250M Michigan Booster Reveals More to Sherrone Moore Saga After Paige Shiver Confirms Police Visit

NFL Files Motion to Dismiss Former Texans Board Member Cary McNair’s “Legally Baseless” Lawsuit

Rafael Nadal Faces New Injury Blow Only a Year After His Emotional Tennis Exit

T.J. Watt’s Wife Shares Emotional Update on Steelers LB Following Worrying Health Scare

Heisman Voter Flags Julian Sayin Disrespect as Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia Announce True Intentions

ASU’s practice start was moved from 9 to 10:45 start. Don’t stress. Kenny Dillingham will be there. He’s been in town the entire time. Last night he was seen at the Fairmount Scottsdale Princess checking out the Christmas scene with his son.

— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) December 13, 2025

“We are going to get after it in bowl prep,” Dillingham said ahead of practice. “We are going to practice hard. We are going to practice physical and we are going to get better.”

But the Michigan speculation didn’t come out of nowhere. Dillingham’s name didn’t get attached to the job by accident, and national voices continue to frame him as a long-term fit for the Wolverines.

Why Michigan should hire Kenny Dillingham

Kenny Dillingham checks nearly every box if Michigan wants a quick restart. He took over an Arizona State program that was buried in NCAA sanctions and the consequences from Herm Edwards era. After going 3–9 in Year 1, he turned it into an 11–3 Big 12 contender and College Football Playoff team the very next season. He has already demonstrated at the age of 35 that he is capable of swiftly winning and building culture.

The offensive angle matters even more. For the past two seasons, Michigan’s passing game has stayed neutral, placing it outside of the top 100 in the country. On the other hand, Dillingham is an aggressive, quarterback-focused coach who has had pulled off major outcomes wherever he has been. Under Dillingham, quarterbacks flourish, as seen by helping Bo Nix win SEC Freshman of the Year at Auburn, transforming Oregon into an EPA monster, and unleashing Sam Leavitt at ASU. That alone makes him a natural fit for where Michigan needs to go next.

Is Kenny Dillingham Interviewing for the Michigan HC Job?

There is currently no evidence that Dillingham has been interviewed for the position. No meetings were leaked. No unexpected flights. He has remained in Arizona State, and openly focused on ASU’s bowl preparation despite the hype. And as it turned out that the practice delay that caused rumors was just what it appeared to be.

Well, rumors didn’t appear out of nowhere. Josh Pate and a Michigan alum publicly referred to Michigan as a “tailor-made” position for Dillingham.

“But I feel kind of strongly about this… that job looks tailor-made for a guy like Kenny Dillingham. I know other names will be thrown out, but I’m telling you, Kenny Dillingham for most college football fans is a guy who they’ve heard sound bites from,” Pate said.

And the betting markets quickly took note. He is now ranked as the favorite by Kalshi Sports, with a 40 percent probability, ahead of Jedd Fisch and Kalen DeBoer. That indicates that the industry views him as a legit pick than merely a media name-drop, but it does not imply that a deal is in the works. The question remains whether Michigan will contact and whether Dillingham will respond.

What a Michigan Move Could Mean for ASU Football

Losing Dillingham would hurt Arizona State’s identity. He is a local, an alumnus, and the face of ASU’s comeback. He enhanced the Texas-to-Tempe recruitment pipeline and restored faith following NCAA sanctions.If he leaves ASU would be replacing momentum, culture, and a quarterback whisperer in Sam Leavitt mold.

At the same time, success always comes with attention Programs don’t get poached unless they’re doing something really good, and and ASU frequently makes headlines for that with the foundation Dillingham’s has established with bowl appearances, offensive identity, and pipeline in Texas.

Dillingham apparently had a check-in from Penn State earlier in the cycle, but the Sun Devil head coach dismissed it, telling the reporters, “”I was never leaving, I never said I was leaving — this is home… You have to continue to push, and my job running the program is to push and push and push until you can’t push anymore. And if I didn’t do that, I’d be cheating my players. I’d be cheating my staff. I’d be cheating the fan base. I’d be cheating everybody in the city. I’d be cheating the local businesses that feed off of us winning, and then they sell more beer.”

For now, Dillingham’s current priorities are bowl preparation. The Sun Devils in Tempe are keeping an eye on El Paso and the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, but the Michigan noise is loud and the speculations will go on.