With a roster stretched thin by injuries, sitting at No. 6 in the Big 12 may not be where Kenny Dillingham imagined his Arizona State squad at this point. Still, the Sun Devils have refused to fold. Despite a depleted depth chart, they’ve avoided consecutive losses and hold a 6-3 record. But make no mistake, the grind is wearing on their young head coach. During Monday’s press conference ahead of the West Virginia matchup, Dillingham’s frustration slipped through the usual composure.

“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 as he discussed his team’s position in the Big 12.

ASU’s schedule hasn’t done them any favors. Two early road trips against Mississippi State and Baylor were followed by clashes with TCU and Utah. The latter was a 42-10 drubbing that derailed conference title hopes. The second half of the schedule is lighter, but the damage is already done. Starters like Xavion Alford, Kyson Brown, Sam Leavitt, Zyrus Fiaseu, and Ben Coleman have all missed significant time. The injuries have forced underclassmen into starting roles, and that inexperience has shown. Not just that, Dillingham considers that the team hasn’t played well at all 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?”

This season has felt like a battle for 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, got frustrating for the head coach. “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.

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.

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