The College Football Playoffs were reached by the Sun Devils. Their coach is receiving a large raise.
After Arizona State’s surprising run to the College Football Playoffs, head coach Kenny Dillingham is receiving a sizable increase. A contract extension for Dillingham through 2029 and a pay raise of $5.8 million beginning this year, with a $100,000 increase every January 1 for the length of the term, were authorized by the Arizona Board of Regents on Thursday. Last season, he earned $4.1 million.
One-year extensions and raises for meeting specific goals are part of the deal; an 11-win season might result in an increase of $450,000. The 34-year-old Dillingham led the No. 10 Sun Devils from three victories the previous season to the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day against No. 4 Texas, one of the largest comebacks in modern college football history. Running back Cam Skattebo led Arizona State to a spectacular comeback in the CFP quarterfinal, but the team lost 39-31 in double overtime.
After being selected to finish last in the preseason poll, Dillingham received substantial bonuses during Arizona State’s run, which included a Big 12 championship in the Sun Devils’ first season in the league. When the 33-year-old former Oregon offensive coordinator took over a failing Arizona State program last season, he became the FBS’s youngest head coach. During his first season, the Sun Devils suffered a lot of injuries while dealing with the fallout from an NCAA investigation into former coach Herm Edwards’ recruiting techniques.
By leading a team that won six straight games into the CFP for the first time this season, the ultra-enthusiastic Dillingham pressed all the right buttons. Dillingham has made full use of Skattebo, who came in fifth in the Heisman Trophy vote, and made a wise choice by acquiring quarterback Sam Leavitt from the transfer site, among others.