$29 million college football coach sends cryptic message on replacing Sherrone Moore at Michigan

A coach at a major college football program has sent a message in regard to rumors about him taking the Michigan head coaching job

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham reacts against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The college football coaching carousel is beginning to slow down after a historically busy cycle.

No fewer than 18 Power Four college football programs will hire new coaches in the 2026 offseason. Depending on who Michigan hires as Sherrone Moore's replacement, that number could rise to 19 in the coming weeks.

One coach that has been linked to the head coaching vacancy at Michigan is Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham. The odds for Dillingham to be Michigan's next head coach have once again risen on Kalshi.

The Arizona State head coach made a comment to address the rumors of his linkage to the vacancy on Tuesday.

Kenny Dillingham was asked if there is any part of him that wants to ease Sun Devil fans nerves surrounding his name in the Michigan coaching search.

His response:

“My job is to do whatever I can for the people that are with me…I love it here. I’ve said that since day one.… pic.twitter.com/j1kbV5tpgA

— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) December 16, 2025

"My job is to try to do whatever I can for the people that are with me. The people in the foxhole, the coaches in the foxhole, I need to do whatever I can to fight for those people," Dillingham said. "I love it here, I've said that since day one. That's absolutely never changing, absolutely never changing. That piece is never changing."

Dillingham's loyalty to the Sun Devils is strong, as he graduated from Arizona State in 2012 and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He worked as an offensive analyst for the Sun Devils before rising through the coaching ranks as an offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon.

Arizona State hired Dillingham to replace Herm Edwards in the 2023 offseason. The Sun Devils self-imposed a postseason ban due to recruiting violations that occurred under Edwards in 2023, adding another layer of difficulty to the rebuild. The Sun Devils went 3-9 that season with wins over Southern Utah, Washington State and UCLA.

Dillingham gained respect in the coaching world for his work in the 2024 season. The Sun Devils posted a 10-2 regular season with losses at Texas Tech (30-22) and Cincinnati (24-14). Arizona State defeated Iowa State (45-19) in the Big 12 Championship en route to a College Football Playoff appearance.

The 2024 season ended with a loss to Texas (39-31) in double overtime in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the 2024 Big 12 Coach of the Year and Co-CBS Sports Coach of the Year.

The Sun Devils finished the 2025 regular season with 8-4 (6-3). The losses were at Mississippi State (24-20) and Utah (42-10), and versus Houston (24-16) and Arizona (23-7). Arizona State will play Duke (8-5, 6-2) in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 31 (2 p.m. EST, CBS).

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham reacts against the Arizona Wildcats during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images