Michigan football has 'reasonable shot' to land ASU's Kenny Dillingham
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Could Arizona State really lose head coach Kenny Dillingham to Michigan?
One college football insider provided an update on the Michigan football coaching search on Dec. 16, saying that there was a “reasonable shot” that the ASU football coach could leave the Sun Devils for the Wolverines, who are seeking a replacement for the recently fired Sherrone Moore.
“Kenny Dillingham is, like, the most brutally honest coach in America,” Josh Pate said Tuesday on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “I know Kenny. I know him fairly well. He’s a very straight shooter. Even when it probably works against his own best interests, he’s a pretty straight shooter. And so it’s not hard, there aren’t layers that you have to pull back to figure out where his head’s at. You may have to read between the lines a little bit there. But I’ll read between the lines for you. He knows that he’s on Michigan’s radar. I don’t think he has spoken to Michigan because I think there’s a pecking order in the Michigan coaching search — and I don’t know that Kenny is at the top, but I think he’s near the top.
“And I think that once those dominoes unequivocally fall — I think they already have, but according to Michigan, maybe they haven’t. So once they unequivocally fall, then I think maybe it’s Kenny Dillingham’s shot to listen. I will also tell you this. There’s a perception out there that Michigan need only pick up the phone and Kenny Dillingham is on the first thing smoking to Ann Arbor. I don’t find that to be the case. I think they’d have a reasonable shot at landing him — I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion because, as I said, everything you’re hearing him say about Arizona State is accurate.”
Kenny Dillingham to Michigan speculation continues, intensifies
Just a few days ago, it appeared certain that Dillingham would return to Arizona State next season after the coach addressed the media with emotional comments about ASU, his alma mater.
But comments from Dillingham to the media after the Sun Devils’ practice for the Sun Bowl on Dec. 16, as well as Pate’s comments, have seemed to at least keep the door open for Dillingham to at least entertain interest from Ann Arbor, introducing some uncertainty about Dillingham’s future at Arizona State.
Reports had indicated that Dillingham had been close to signing an extension with ASU, but that still hasn’t come to fruition, potentially further complicating Dillingham’s future at Arizona State.
While some think Dillingham could be leveraging ASU for help in strengthening the Arizona State football program, some fans have been growing uneasy with the continued speculation linking the coach to Michigan.
VOTE: Where will Kenny Dillingham be coaching next season? (Michigan speculation returns after Arizona State football coach’s comments: https://t.co/ESrOAwHBcu) #ForksUp#GoBlue
— Jeremy Cluff (@Jeremy_Cluff) December 16, 2025
Could Kenny Dillingham leave Arizona State for Michigan?
Pate said that it would take a lot for Dillingham to leave the Sun Devils, which should help ease the anxiety of some Arizona State fans.
“Kenny Dillingham is not looking to leave Arizona State,” Pate said. “That dude loves it there. There is a root system planted there with him for a number of reasons. One of the beautiful things in college football is when a guy that is uniquely tied to a program exists at that program. Brent Key-Georgia Tech, perfect example. Clark Lea-Vandy, perfect example. Well, Kenny Dillingham-Arizona State is a perfect example.
“So someone who lives in Spokane, Wash., may look and say, ‘Dude, if I could have Arizona State or Michigan, it’s Michigan. It’s a no-brainer.’ To you, it would be. But that’s all things being equal. All things aren’t equal with him. He has strong ties to Arizona State. So it’s going to take a lot to get him out of there. Michigan has a lot to offer, and that’s why you listen. And he may very well listen to them if the time comes and choose to go. All I’m saying is, I’ve maintained and I still maintain there’s a very, very different dynamic in play with Kenny Dillingham and Michigan than there is Kalen DeBoer in Michigan. And I don’t think any of that’s ever changed. I think that’s been the way it’s been the whole time.”
But, the longer this drags on without a definitive extension for Dillingham and with the continued speculation connecting him to Michigan, the more uneasy some Arizona State fans are going to be.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kenny Dillingham has ‘reasonable shot’ to become next Michigan coach
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