Kenny Dillingham Reveals Most Important Trait of Future Sun Devils

Arizona State has a clear vision as to who will and won't be players that will be rostered moving forward.

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham stands on the sidelines during the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Kenny Dillingham's third season as head coach of the Arizona State football program is officially set to come to a close on Wednesday afternoon, when his team takes on the Duke Blue Devils in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

Dillingham is seeking to improve his record at his alma matter to 23-16 with a victory over the reigning ACC champions - the head coach will have gone 20-7 over the last two seasons with this result after a rough first season.

20 victories over a two-year period would encapsulate the rock-solid culture that Dillingham has built in a relatively short period of time - advancing the culture is at the front of mind for the 35-year old head coach as the game is at the dawn of being played.

Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham watches folklórico dancers perform as they arrive at the Atlantic FBO Hangar in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, ahead of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dillingham Emphasizes Focus of Continuing Culture Building

The steward of the program spoke with media on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the contest against Duke, with one of the most profound responses coming in the aftermath of a question surrounding the most important factor behind building a lasting culture that will extend beyond this three-season run.

"When you love the game, good things happen. Moving forward, we've got to recruit guys who love the game of football."

This approach has been the case for the majority of Dillingham's tenure, as the continuous support from coaches, mantra of "have fun working harder than anyone in the country," and consistent winning have resulted in players such as defensive lineman Zac Swanson professing that they regained love for the game.

Arizona State defensive line coach Diron Reynolds works with lineman Zac Swanson (92) during a practice inside the Verde Dickey Dome in Tempe on Aug. 12, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's a high likelihood that passion for the game will be at the forefront of focus for the coaching staff heading into an offseason period that will be heavily predicated on building a roster that will look different compared to 2025.

Arizona State Moving Towards 2026 Roster Building

The transfer portal is set to open on January 2 - less than two days after the close of the 2025 season. The Sun Devils clearly must be focused on curating a group of high-level targets in the portal to supplement losses that will be experienced from season-to-season.

While the balance of players as far as position, conference, remaining eligibility, and more is in the air, there's little doubt that the coaching staff will take passion/selflessness/leadership into heavy account when targeting potential impact players heading into a season that has potential to be the most challenging of the Dillingham era in 2026.

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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