$29 million head coach 'nearing' contract agreement amid departure rumors

A coach at a major college football program is working on an extension despite rumors of him looking elsewhere

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham walks the field prior to a game against Arizona at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, on Nov. 28, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season is nearing its end.

12 college football programs have been selected to participate in the 2025 College Football Playoff beginning on Dec. 19. 70 other programs have accepted bids to play in bowl games from mid-December to January 2, 2026.

A dominant topic of conversation at the end of every college football season is the head coaching carousel. Michigan entered itself into the 2026 offseason coaching carousel when it dismissed head coach Sherrone Moore with cause on Wednesday.

One of the many candidates for the Michigan head coaching vacancy appears to be taking his name off the list.

Chris Karpman of 247Sports reported Arizona State and Kenny Dillingham are nearing an agreement to raise his pay amid the rumors of Michigan's interest in Dillingham. Arizona State's current deal with Dillingham is for $29 million through 2029.

BREAKING: Kenny Dillingham and Arizona State are "close" to reaching an agreement on contract amendments that would increase his annual base compensation, two people familiar told @SunDevilSource. Discussions have been ongoing for two weeks. Details:https://t.co/Rly8QsBWm4

— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) December 13, 2025

The Phoenix, Arizona native graduated from Arizona State in 2012 and worked as an offensive analyst for the Sun Devils from 2014-15. After brief tenures as an offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon, he accepted the head coaching vacancy left by Herm Edwards at Arizona State in the 2023 offseason.

The Sun Devils self-imposed a postseason ban in Dillingham's first season due to recruiting violations that occurred under Edwards. Arizona State finished 2023 with a 3-9 overall record, winning games against Southern Utah, Washington State and at UCLA.

Dillingham guided Arizona State to a massive leap forward in 2024. The Sun Devils finished the season with a 10-2 regular-season record and 7-2 in Big 12 play, a mark that qualified them for the Big 12 Championship game. Arizona State defeated Iowa State 45-19 en route to a College Football Playoff appearance.

The season ended with a double overtime loss to Texas (39-31) in the Peach Bowl as a part of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Dillingham's 11 wins in 2024 was the most in a season for the Sun Devils since Bruce Snyder hit the mark in 1996.

The Sun Devils won two non conference games against Northern Arizona (38-19) and Texas State (34-15) in 2025. The lone non conference loss was at Mississippi State (24-20) on Sept. 6.

Arizona State won Big 12 home games against TCU (27-24), Texas Tech (26-22) and West Virginia (25-23). The home losses were to Houston (24-16) and Arizona (23-7).

The Sun Devils won at Baylor (27-24), Iowa State (24-19) and Colorado (42-17) in Big 12 road play. The lone Big 12 road loss in 2025 was at Utah (42-10) on Oct. 11.

The Sun Devils (8-4, 6-3) are slated to play Duke (8-5, 6-2) at the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 31 (2 p.m. EST, CBS).

ASU Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham walks off the field after a 24-16 loss to the Houston Cougars at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Oct. 25, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images