College Football Influencer Pushes for Program to Poach ASU Coach

The Sun Devils still potentially face an uphill climb to retain Kenny Dillingham.

Arizona State football head coach Kenny Dillingham reacts during the first quarter against Iowa State in the Big-12 showdown at jack Trice Stadium on Nov. 1, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Rumors have run rampant over the last week surrounding Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham.

Dillingham had previously committed to returning for the 2026 season to his team prior to the win over Iowa State on November 1 - passing up potential opportunities at Auburn, Florida, and other schools.

Sherrone Moore being fired by the University of Michigan last week complicated things once again, as the 35-year old was once again tabbed as a prime candidate to take over the 2023 national champions.

The third-year leader of the program did his best to shoot down rumors following practice on December 13, but outside players continue to attempt to add fuel to the fire.

Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports fame lobbied for Michigan to put power in the hands of donors to the program in an effort to make a home-run hire, with Dillingham being at the front of mind in that regard.

"I don't think any great coach is ever going to take a job if they don't even know if the AD is going to be there. And we don't know if the ad is going to be there, we don't know the president's going to be there. So just give it to the donors. Give it to Larry Ellison. Give it to me. I'll go close Dillingham. I'll go I'll get Dillingham on a silver platter in 48 hours. If you give me the resources, I'll go get anybody in the living room. But you have all these people fighting for power. It makes sense, you're not going to get a coach until that's figured out."

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz (left) with Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Portnoy and Ellison have both been subjects of controversy in recent months, but remain deep-pocketed and influential donors of the Michigan athletic programs - this poses a potential uphill climb for Michael Crow, Graham Rossini, and Arizona State.

247 Sports' Arizona State insider Chris Karpman reported on Saturday morning that Arizona State brass and Dillingham's agent have been working on an amended contract to replace the extension that was signed in January for upwards of two weeks.

The new contract would include a bump in base pay, among other quirks, although there have been no announcements or reports that would point to an official deal being agreed upon.

Jumping on @Bickley_Marotta at 7:45 to discuss the Dillingham contract and Michigan situation.

To the best of my knowledge, Michigan remains interested in Dillingham, and Dillingham has not yet finalized a new contract agreement with ASU. https://t.co/gRaS6jOUks

— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) December 16, 2025

Although Dillingham is loyal to the program and it would be a surprise to see him depart, nothing is set in stone until the new contract is officially agreed upon.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

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