Arizona State Football Coach Kenny Dillingham Had 1 Wish for His Contract Extension

‘I wanted [news] to be released at a time people weren’t gonna talk about it ... I wanted this to be about the guys, the game, and the players,’ the coach said.

Ariona State head coach Kenny Dillingham (L) and quarterback Sam Leavitt celebrate after the Sun Devils win in the Big 12 Conference championship NCAA college football game against Iowa State, in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 7, 2024. Julio Cortez / AP

Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini dropped the news of football head coach Kenny Dillingham’s five-year contract extension at about the same time the ball dropped in Times Square.

Dillingham, whose ASU Sun Devils lost to the Texas Longhorns 39–31 in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday, wanted the news to be shared quietly that night. The Arizona Republic reported that Rossini informed ASU athletics stakeholders at a private gathering on New Year’s Eve, but media outlets began reporting the news early on New Year’s Day before the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in Atlanta.