Arizona State football's Kenny Dillingham linked to the coaching job at Auburn

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Another day in college football. Another opening, this time at Auburn.

Again, it's Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham being mentioned in conjunction with that opening after the departure of Hugh Freeze, who was 1-5 in SEC play and 15-19 overall.

There are 12 head coaching positions open — nine of those at power conference schools. Four of those are in the SEC, with Auburn joining LSU, Florida and Arkansas. Among the other notable openings are Penn State and UCLA.

Some oddsmakers list former Penn State coach James Franklin, Dillingham and Tulane's Jon Sumrall as the top three favorites at landing the Auburn gig.

Dillingham, 35, became one of the hottest commodities in the game after the 2024 season, in which he led ASU to an 11-3 showing that included an unexpected Big 12 title and berth in the Peach Bowl. That came after a 3-9 showing in 2023 that resulted in the Sun Devils being predicted to finish last in their first season in the Big 12.

Dillingham received a five-year extension on the eve of that New Year's game, with the contract keeping him in Tempe through 2029, but with a path to lengthen that to 2034. Those things matter little now with wealthy alumni jumping at the chance to pay a buyout if it means landing a coach of their choice.

Auburn would not be an unfamiliar stop for Dillingham, who was at that university for one season in 2019 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Gus Malzahn.

The Sun Devils are off for the week, and Dillingham said he was going to spend some extra time recruiting. They are 6-3 heading into the final three games despite being slowed by injuries and playing the most difficult schedule in the conference.

Dillingham, who grew up in Scottsdale, has always called coaching at ASU his "dream job" and laughed off any rumor of him pursuing another gig. He lives in the same neighborhood as his parents and in-laws and has praised all that the area has to offer.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU football's Kenny Dillingham now linked to opening at Auburn

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