Ducks Digest

Arizona State Hires Kenny Dillingham as Next Head Coach

Oregon's offensive coordinator is headed back to his home state after just one season with the Ducks.

Max Torres

In this story:

Oregon has been hit by the coaching carousel once again.

On Sunday morning Arizona State hired Kenny Dillingham as the school's next head coach.

Dillingham was in his first year as a full-time play caller, serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under head coach Dan Lanning at Oregon. 

"We are proud to announce Kenny Dillingham as our head football coach. Coach Dillingham brings the energy, knowledge and appreciation of our state and University that is valued by all of us," Arizona State Vice President of University Athletics Ray Anderson said in a statement. "His knowledge of the current college football landscape learned by coaching across the nation is needed and wanted at ASU. He will care at the highest level about our state, our alumni, our former players and every single group that is important to help us win. We look forward to working with him and all Sun Devils in making his staff successful and helping our program reach our goals."

READ MORE: 5-star WR Jurrion Dickey talks Oregon commitment, signing plans

The former Oregon offensive coordinator had been linked to the head coaching job for much of the 2022 season after the Sun Devils fired Herm Edwards in September. His departure picked up even more steam following a 38-34 loss to Oregon State on Saturday in Corvallis.

Kenny Dillingham sits with quarterback Bo Nix and offensive lineman Alex Forsyth following a 38-34 loss to the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis.
Kenny Dillingham sits with quarterback Bo Nix and offensive lineman Alex Forsyth following a 38-34 loss to the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis :: Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

During his brief stint in Eugene, Dillingham completely revamped a ground-and-pound offense to one of the most explosive and efficient groups in all of college football, averaging 39.7 points per game behind Auburn transfer quarterback Bo Nix. He was also named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant in college football.

Head coach Dan Lanning issued a statement on social media thanking Dillingham following his departure.

"Sauphia and I couldn't be happier for Kenny and his wife, Bri, and their son, Kent, as he embarks on a new journey as head coach at Arizona State. Kenny did a phenomenal job this year for our program and we are excited to see him chase his dream in his hometown. We are grateful for his efforts here and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors."

Dillingham, 32, becomes the youngest head coach in college football. 

Now Oregon will have to find a new offensive coordinator for the second straight year after Joe Moorhead left Eugene to become the new head coach at Akron last season. 

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Kenny Dillingham following Saturday's loss to the Oregon State Beavers.
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Kenny Dillingham following Saturday's loss to the Oregon State Beavers :: Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Dillingham's departure also adds to the uncertainty surrounding Bo Nix's future at Oregon with one year of eligibility remaining, as well as a top-15 recruiting class in 2023 with less than a month until the early signing period.

READ MORE: What Johnny Bowens' commitment means for Oregon

Join the Community

Follow Max on Twitter: @mtorressports

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter to have the latest Oregon Ducks news sent directly to your inbox

Join the discussion on our forums HERE

Published
Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

Home/Football