New year, bag secured: Kenny Dillingham receives massive extension on eve of Peach Bowl

The incentive-laden deal would see Dillingham lead the Sun Devils until at least 2033 with the opportunity to get an extra five years out of the agreement.

Austen Bundy

Arizona State v Arizona / Kelsey Grant/GettyImages

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham has reportedly signed a lucrative extension with the school to continue leading the football program. ESPN's Pete Thamel reports the second-year head coach has received a five-year extension that could turn into 10 total years based on performance.

There was no immediate dollar amount attached to the report but Dillingham would be elevated into the upper tier of highest-paid coaches in the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy $7.75M salary topped the league in 2024 for context.

Dillingham led the program to a sharp turnaround from last year's 3-9 record, winning 11 games and earning the school's first outright conference championship since 1996. His current deal signed in 2022 was laced with incentives which he has cashed in on this season, including an estimated $3M in academic and performance rewards.

Kenny Dillingham challenged ASU to invest in football, the university is putting its money where its mouth is now

Dillingham has proven in just two years that he is the man ASU needs to lead it into the new era of college football. The players have bought into his messaging and that's clearly translated to a winning culture on and off the field.

He's set an example for his team, demonstrated earlier in the season when he attempted to anonymously disperse his $200,000 bonus for winning nine games amongst the off-field staff.

Now, as the Devils prepare to play in the biggest game in program history Wednesday against the Texas Longhorns in the Peach Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, one less order of business will be hanging over the team.

However, that could mean the pressure is way off or way on Dillingham with the university deciding to go all in on his leadership. If there's anything he's proven this year, it's that when the pressure is on and the doubters are loud his players will always step up and quiet them. No matter what happens Wednesday the future is bright for Sun Devil football with Dillingham at the helm.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a Contributor to Fansided.com with previous bylines at Yardbarker and CNN. Austen has had an on-again, off-again relationship with sports journalism, beginning in college with the Pac-12 Network at Arizona State University in 2015. He now resides in the Washington, D.C. area and covers the NHL (Go Caps!), College Football and some Olympic sports like Swimming. If it runs, skates, shoots and scores - you can probably find him watching that game.