Kenny Dillingham Has Too Much Energy and I Love It

Kenny Dillingham is the most caffeinated human being in college football and I’m here for it.

Have you watched this guy on the sideline? He’s literally bouncing. Jumping up and down. Running onto the field to celebrate with players. Screaming. Hugging. High-fiving everyone within arm’s reach.

It’s like watching a golden retriever who accidentally became a head coach.

And you know what? It’s WORKING.

Arizona State went 8-4 this year. That’s a good season for a program that was in complete chaos two years ago. They beat Colorado. They beat Arizona in the Territorial Cup. They made a New Year’s Six bowl.

Dillingham is 33 years old. THIRTY-THREE. He’s the youngest head coach in Power Four football by like a decade. And he’s out here recruiting like his life depends on it, coaching like every play matters, and bringing energy that other programs can only dream about.

The offense is fun to watch. Tempo. Creativity. Cam Skattebo doing everything short of selling concessions. They want to run 80 plays a game and tire defenses out. When it works, it’s beautiful chaos.

The defense is… still a work in progress. They gave up too many points. The secondary got torched more than once. But hey, you can’t fix everything in year two.

Mike’s note: Dillingham’s energy is genuine, which matters. Some coaches try to manufacture enthusiasm and it comes across as fake. Dillingham is actually like this. The players respond to it because they can tell it’s real.

The 8-4 season proved this isn’t just vibes. They actually won games. They competed in every single game on the schedule. They didn’t get blown out by anyone.

I don’t know if Dillingham is going to be a Hall of Fame coach. It’s too early to tell. But I know he’s entertaining as hell, he’s bringing energy to a program that desperately needed it, and he’s winning more games than he’s losing.

Keep being weird, Kenny. Keep bouncing on the sideline. Keep hugging everybody.

— Jake