Coach Kenny Dillingham
It’s been a rough few years for Arizona State football; the promise of a big-name coach in Herm Edwards injected optimism into fans of the Sun Devils for a few years, until 2022 brought in a nine-loss season followed by scandal in the way of recruiting violations. The subsequent probation, ineligibility for a 2023 bowl game, and forfeited scholarships led to a new low for Sun Devils fans.
Enter new coach Kenny Dillingham, a highly bold move as he was to be the youngest head coach out of any team in a major conference. 2023, his first year as coach, looked to be more of the same: another nine-loss season and cries of the same old Sun Devils.
But 2024 is a new day, and what a change it has been for the Sun Devils. In its first year back in bowl eligibility, Arizona State has already positioned itself well with a 4-1 record, including a big win against Kansas last Saturday. It was a sold out game, and clearly the mood and sentiment regarding this team has shifted radically, led by an extremely efficient Sam Leavitt at quarterback and running back Cameron Skattebo absolutely tearing up the Jayhawks defense.
While turnaround stories tend to be slow, plodding affairs, Arizona State has exited its sanctions running at full sprint, and credit must be given to not just Coach Dillingham, but also the athletic department for taking a significant risk. His youth has turned from a potential vulnerability into a positive, as he is clearly more relatable than Herm Edwards and has his players playing hard. His energy is infectious, and much of the Valley is now infected.
It couldn’t happen at a better time too. Arizona’s professional sports teams have had a rough go at it recently. After opening the season with promise, the Cardinals got shellacked by the Washington Commanders (the second-worst team in the NFL last year) last Sunday, opening up criticism about the “same old Cardinals” yet again (EDIT: this was written during the Sunday afternoon game, whose ending did elevate our moods some). A big name Phoenix Suns team poised to win now fell in heartbreaking fashion in the Western Conference finals last year. And a painstakingly average season for the Diamondbacks bore no postseason fruits.
Arizona sports fans needed something to cheer about after a year (well, actually, decades) of underperformance. We never would have anticipated that it would come from the Sun Devils, but props must be given to Coach Dillingham and the entire athletic department for constructing a program built to rise from the ashes. We’re all better off as a result.