With a banged-up team, sitting at No. 6 may not be satisfying for ASU’s Kenny Dillingham, but the Sun Devils didn’t give up. They showed resilience by not losing back-to-back games. Even with injuries on both sides of the ball, they have a 6-3 overall record. But if they weren’t banged up, they might not have lost a single home game like last season (6-0) and even sit at the top. Here’s where things can get frustrating for ASU’s third-year HC.

In Monday’s press conference, ahead of the West Virginia game, the frustration showed when the 2024 Big 12 Coach of the Year discussed his team’s position in the Big 12. “If we were healthy, I’d probably be not thrilled, but, you know, decently happy with where we’re at. I mean, this conference is ruthless. It’s really, really tough. And we’ve had a really, really tough conference schedule,” said Dillingham.

Yes, in the first half they faced two road games against strong opponents like MS State and Baylor. Then they played against TCU and Utah, and the 42-10 Utah loss was a major blow for Dillingham’s conference title hopes. Although the second half of the schedule is considerably lighter, things look worse with a lot of players banged up.

Safety Xavion Alford, RB Kyson Brown, QB Sam Leavitt, LB Zyrus Fiaseu, and even Ben Coleman all sidelined or missed half or more of the games this season. While it’s a gut punch for third-year HC, Dillingham’s emotion said it all. “When you look at who we’ve played and the rhythm of how we’ve played them, was at home, was it away? Played a really tough schedule. So with all the injuries, I’m very impressed by our guys ability to just keep fighting… and we see we still have not played a good football game. That’s the part that’s the most frustrating to me as the head coach, is why is our team?”

In short, this season has felt like a battle of survival more than a race in the Big 12 for ASU. When you lose experienced veterans to injury and have to rely on young or freshman players, mistakes are bound to happen. Seeing those same errors repeated by different players, simply because of inexperience, can be frustrating for an HC. “I think I’m learning that I need to mitigate risk in some of these scenarios so we don’t have catastrophes,” admitted Dillingham.

Still, the HC isn’t losing hope yet, and he believes in his team. “It may not be the best thing, but the negative side isn’t as high. So, I’m happy with where we’re at. We’ve got a lot of seasons left to be played. I hope our guys are rejuvenated and ready to go these last three weeks.” And it seems to be possible with ASU’s second bye week before facing WVU.

As it brings some good news on the injury side. LB Tate Romney and DE Prince Dorbah are likely to return this week, as per the ASU HC. With all this, ASU may not be able to match last year’s 11-3 record this season. But is the HC really going anywhere and leaving ASU?

Kenny Dillingham’s Auburn stance

In the ongoing mid-year coaching firing trend, while many linked the 35-year-old ASU HC to fill void places, including Auburn, he has hit the brakes on speculation. Hence, at least for now, the Sun Devils keep their man. However, he’s not just staying for football reasons. What could be the reason to stay at ASU despite having many opportunities?

Dillingham didn’t hold back in making his point. “I’ve said this from the beginning. My next-door neighbor is my sister. My parents live three doors down. My wife’s parents live five doors down,” said the ASU HC. “My wife is as competitive a person as you’ll ever see. She’s someone who wants to win national championships.” In short, the Dillingham family’s competitive fire mirrors the HC’s own, and that’s why Phoenix feels like home turf. But that homegrown loyalty runs deep.

Dillingham’s ASU roots stretch back to his student days. From those humble beginnings to becoming the first former Sun Devil or student to lead the program, his journey has come full circle. Perhaps that’s why, at least for next season, he’s staying with the Sun Devils. “I’m not going anywhere next year,” said Kenny Dillingham. Winning the championship is the mission for the HC now.