Why promising young college football coach turned down Michigan

Following the end of the Sherrone Moore era at Michigan, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham was one of the hot names in college football listed as a possible replacement for the Wolverines.

Dillingham, 36, led ASU to a Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff appearance in 2024, his second season with the program. The Sun Devils went 11-3 in 2024, a dramatic turnaround from the 3-9 record he had in his first season with the program in 2023.

Amid an 8-5 with Arizona State in 2025, Dillingham was a highly-coveted coach in a wild coaching carousel last fall. In an interview with Dan Wolken of Yahoo Sports, Dillingham understood that passing on Michigan meant he might not get another opportunity to coach at a blue blood school.

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Dillingham made the choice to stay at ASU, where he graduated from, because he’s content with where he’s at.

“But I don’t care about being at a blue blood,” Dillingham said. “I want to coach football and be happy. At the end of the day, some of the best coaches aren’t the guys that everybody talks about. The media talks about the people who win championships. But sometimes the best coaches aren’t those people.

“I think sometimes people can’t see the forest through the trees, and I’ve got a great thing. Why would I mess it up?”

With Dillingham off the table, Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham, who was the head coach at Utah from 2005 to 2025. Whittingham went 177-88 during his time with the Utes. Like Dillingham, he turned down opportunities to coach more prestigious programs earlier in his career.

The move could work out for both programs. Dillingham can continue to build ASU into an annual contender in the Big 12. Whittingham has the experience to lead Michigan to a run in the CFP.

For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.