Fairy tales seldom become reality in college football.
However, Arizona State University has 40,000 freshmen ready to ignite a movement. The football team just dominated Wyoming 48-7 in their season opener, dramatically shifting predictions, betting odds, and the excitement of alumni. The team has a charismatic homegrown head coach who exudes energy and possesses a maturity beyond his years. Kenny Dillingham embodies a unique blend of qualities:
He gets it; he understands what’s needed. After 27 years of mostly average football in the Valley, there’s hope he might be the one to turn things around. Could he be Tempe’s version of Lute Olson, capable of building a strong collegiate program in the desert and committed enough to stay put?
I understand if you’re feeling skeptical or rolling your eyes. I’ve witnessed it all—the highs and lows, like Bruce Snyder hiking through Idaho snow to recruit Jake Plummer and ruining a $ 300 pair of shoes; Pat Tillman cycling to the stadium to meditate atop a light tower; and the Sun Devils nearly clinching a national championship within 100 seconds.
I’ve witnessed the many setbacks and false beginnings under coaches like Dirk Koetter, Dennis Erickson, Todd Graham, and Herm Edwards. None of them brought the unique qualities that Dillingham offers.
To begin with, Dillingham has genuine determination and a strong drive. He made the bold decision to dismiss his chosen offensive coordinator mid-way through the 2023 season and took over the play-calling himself.
This season, he restructured his coaching staff again, enhancing the defensive line with Diron Reynolds and bringing in former UNLV head coach Marcus Arroyo as the offensive coordinator, along with the addition of star wide receivers coach Hines Ward, a former Steelers legend.
He isn’t clumsy with the culture or its slogans. He isn’t overdoing it or exploiting Tillman’s memory. His authenticity shines through because he truly understands what it means to be a Sun Devil.
Dillingham isn’t playing it safe. He’s pushing boundaries, challenging fans, and openly expressing a desire to return to the glory days when college football was a source of pride in the Valley—when Saturdays were meant for Sun Devil Stadium.
It might seem naive to think that a city saturated with professional sports can reconnect with its college roots. But now is a perfect moment to rally and create excitement. With the Valley having lost its NHL team and no longer being seen as a major league market, a revitalized Sun Devils team would bring both nostalgia and freshness.
Hopefully, ASU’s performance on Saturday was a genuine breakthrough and not just a fleeting illusion. Their dominance was impressive and certainly not the tedious display everyone anticipated. The student section was packed, with reports of significant congestion in the concourse. This reflects a promise we’ve heard many times before about the potential awakening of a giant in Tempe.
Perhaps this team will be different, right on time after twenty-seven years. And if we’re fortunate, we might just thank Ray Anderson for his final gift to ASU and for hiring the head coach that followed Herm Edwards.
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