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Arizona State Sun Devils

Kenny Dillingham receives Big 12 top honor ahead of conference title match

© Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The goal for Arizona State Football head coach Kenny Dillingham this weekend is to win the Big 12 championship; however, he and his Sun Devils have already earned some conference victories this week before the game kicks off.

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Dillingham and the No. 15 Sun Devils (10-2,7-2) won’t be able to make their claim for a Big 12 title until Saturday when they take on No. 16 Iowa State (10-2,7-2) in the championship bout, but they did win big with the announcement of conference postseason honors.

On Thursday, the Big 12 released its all-conference teams, naming Dillingham the 2024 Chuck Neinas Big 12 Coach of the Year.

It’s pretty much undeniable that Dillingham was the evident choice for this award.

After finishing off his first season 3-9, Dillingham completely flipped the script in 2024, closing out the regular season as one of the Big 12’s top two team, when many suspected they’d be dead last. The award documents another historic feat for ASU’s man in charge, bringing the first conference Coach of the Year donning back to The Valley since 2019, when Herm Edwards was named Pac-12 coach of the year. It marks only the forth time a Sun Devils head coach was given the honor by the conference the school participates in this century (Dennis Erickson in 2007, Todd Graham in 2014).

Dillingham’s success isn’t just represented in the win column, but by the players putting in the work, many of whom he found in the transfer portal.

ASU had 11 Sun Devils selected to the All-Big 12 team. Among the group, nine of them were Dillingham transfers.

Two of Dillingham’s 2024 offseason transfers earned individual honors under his guidance. Michigan State transfer and redshirt freshman Sam Leavitt was named the conference’s Offensive Freshman of the Year, while Colorado transfer and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Tyson will not participate in the postseason after suffering an undisclosed season-ending injury in the Sun Devils regular season finale last Saturday, but it didn’t stop him from receiving his individual award and being named to the Big-12 First Team. Redshirt junior defensive back Xavion Alford, redshirt senior offensive lineman Leif Fautanu and senior running back Cam Skattebo were also selected to the first team. Leavitt was placed on the second team.

 

Dillingham, his 11 all-conference players and the rest of the Sun Devils ranked amongst the top of the conference on both sides of the ball. His offense — powered by Leavitt, Tyson and Skattebo — finished the regular season fourth in rushing yards per game (195 ypg) fifth in scoring (32.1 ppg) and seventh in passing yards (224.8 ypg) out of 16 teams. ASU matched it with a complimentary defense that held teams to 116.8 rushing ypg (2nd), 21.5 ppg (4th) and 14 interceptions are in a three-way tie for second most in the Big 12. Mix those in with one of the most entertaining and viral college football this season, and you’ve got yourself the perfect recipe for the Coach of the Year.

The Sun Devils and their head coach have exceeded expectations this season and now have the hardware to backup that it wasn’t a fluke. Regardless of all of that, there’s still more work left to do.

The postseason accolades well-deserved, but this can’t be the peak for ASU this year. The conference honors were great, but a conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff will make this season even more special.

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Reporter Jordyn Bennett covers the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix area sports and sports related topics. You can follow him on his X account, @j_bennett_live

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