There’s loyalty to your team, and then there’s what just went down in Tempe. Have you ever seen an HC roll up to a big-time game and absolutely own the place? We’re talking packed house, energy so thick you could cut it with a knife, and one guy making sure everyone knew exactly who he was there to rep. And it wasn’t even his sport. That’s the crazy part. The Sun Devils HC Kenny Dillingham just made a statement so loud the entire fanbase gotta be grinning ear-to-ear.

Now let’s break it down. The Sun Devils HC Kenny Dillingham didn’t just show up at Mullett Arena for ASU’s NCHC quarterfinal against Minnesota Duluth on March 15, 2025. Oh no, the man showed up like he owned the place. Dillingham’s got Tempe in a chokehold, and the love is real. Kenny Dillingham pulled up to Mullett Arena, and the place straight-up erupted. Sold-out crowd? Check. Loud ovation? You bet. And then came the “Kenny… Kenny” chants, shaking the damn roof. That man didn’t just show up—he took over Mullet Arena. Second straight night backing the Sun Devils, proving once again he’s not just about football. Basketball, baseball, hockey—if ASU’s playing, Dilly’s in the building.

And he ain’t just chilling in the stands, either. When ASU tied it up in the third, he hopped right in, leading the whole arena in an ‘A-S-U’ chant like he was the hype man Tempe never knew it needed. This ain’t some passive head coach who only shows up when the cameras are rolling—Dillingham lives and breathes Arizona State. The fans feel it, the players feed off it, and the energy? Off the damn charts. Forks up, because this culture shift is different.

ASU hockey was out there throwing haymakers with Minnesota Duluth, and the crowd was eating it up. It was a back-and-forth slugfest that had everyone’s nerves hanging by a thread. The Sun Devils clawed their way back to tie it up at 5-5 in the third, #23 coming in clutch. And when the game pushed into OT, the place went absolutely ballistic. And when Ryan Kirwan hit the winning goal in OT, sealing a 6-5 comeback thriller, you’d swear the roof was about to blow off Mullett Arena. The Sun Devils were moving on to the Frozen Faceoff, and Dillingham? He was having the time of his life.

But here’s the kicker: Dillingham’s been laying down roots after that 2024 season. Back in January, the Arizona Board of Regents approved a contract extension for him through 2029, bumping his salary to $5.8 million starting this year, with a $100,000 increase each January. Last season, he made $4.1 million. So yeah, the man’s committed to Tempe, and he’s making sure everyone knows it.

Kenny Dillingham’s Cinderella season at ASU

Arizona State’s 2024 season? Straight-up legendary. Nobody saw this kind of glow-up coming, but Kenny Dillingham had the Sun Devils out here proving everybody wrong. After a rough 3-9 run in 2023, ASU flipped the script with freshman QB Sam Leavitt, storming through the Big 12 with an 11-3 record and snatching the conference championship in style—smacking Iowa State 45-19. Yeah, they weren’t just in the mix; they owned it.

That W punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff, landing them in the Peach Bowl against Texas. And even though they took an L, it wasn’t without a fight. Cam Skattebo went nuclear, dropping 56% of the team’s total offense, tossing a wild 42-yard touchdown pass, and bulldozing in two rushing scores. He even walked away with Offensive MVP, which seldom happens for a player on the losing team. ASU went down 39-31, but they made sure people remembered their name.

But let’s not act like Dillingham’s impact stopped on the field. This man had the whole program buzzing. A Mike Norvell disciple, he brought that next-level energy, proving his spot in the big leagues wasn’t just hype. ASU fans felt it too—Mullett Arena was electric whenever he showed up, leading chants and hyping up every squad on campus. By the time the dust settled, the Sun Devils were sitting at No. 7 in the final AP poll—their highest ranking in years. From basement dwellers to legit contenders in one season? Yeah, Tempe’s got something special brewing, and Dillingham’s just getting started.