A staple of the 2024 college football season has been Arizona State pulling off an unexpected win, and then Kenny Dillingham giving a wild interview afterward. A Scottsdale alum and an Arizona State graduate, the Dillingham experience has given the nation the chance to watch someone turn their dreams into a reality.
All the while, Dillingham has made clear that any new money pouring into the Arizona State program should go to his players and his staff. "Pay these guys what they deserve to be paid because right now our team is underpaid. We're doing more with guys who just got it out the mud, but eventually you should get what you deserve," Dillingham said after the Sun Devils knocked off No. 14 BYU last Saturday, a game in which he wore a shirt representing ASU's collective. "Our guys deserve more and that's why I wore this."
That win, Arizona State's ninth of the season, triggered a bonus in Dillingham's contract, which allowed the 34-year-old to put his money where his mouth is.
According to Sun Devil Source publisher Chris Karpman, Dillingham passed his $200,000 bonus along to his off-the-field staff.
Sources: Amazing, 100% true Thanksgiving story about Kenny Dillingham.
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) November 28, 2024
Saturday: Dillingham earns $200k bonus for 9 wins.
Monday: Dillingham tells 20 off-the-field ASU staffers they’ll all get a 5–10k bonus.
What Dillingham didn’t tell them (or me): He’s giving them his bonus. pic.twitter.com/KgNx6B57kQ
Dillingham earns $3.95 million in salary this season, which places him 12th among the 15 public-school Big 12 coaches. (He's almost certainly behind BYU's Kalani Sitake as well.)
As detailed by the Arizona Republic, Arizona State's success is triggering a domino effect of bonuses for its head coach. Dillingham can earn a bonus for getting No. 14 Arizona State its 10th win at Arizona on Saturday. A victory there triggers a 10 percent bonus for clinching a spot in the Big 12 Championship, and Dillingham can earn another 10 percent if ASU wins. He's already clinched a minimum of $50,000 in postseason bonuses, and is in line for up to $150,000 for Big 12 and/or national coach of the year awards.
"I personally am not," Dillingham told Karpman earlier this month when asked about contract extension talks. "I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about our assistants right now and then our players with NIL."
With more bonus money on the way, let's watch this man live his dream.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.