LaMelo Ball is once again dealing with an ankle injury, something that has been said of the Charlotte Hornets guard plenty of times since he was drafted. He stepped on Jarred Vanderbilt’s foot while backpedaling to get back on defense on Monday night and had to leave the contest immediately.
It reminded former NBA guard Jeff Teague of a conversation he had with Kenny Atkinson. The current Cleveland Cavaliers coach had accepted the Hornets job before backing out of it, sending the Hornets spiraling into a second Steve Clifford era. Atkinson is now the frontrunner for Coach of the Year with the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jeff Teague recalls a conversation he had with Kenny Atkinson about LaMelo Ball before he was offered the job in Charlotte:
“He’s unbelievable, he’s so talented. I would love to work with him. I just don’t know how healthy he’s gonna be.” pic.twitter.com/uXBUH0ncQU
When he was linked to the Hornets, Teague said that Atkinson was highly complimentary of Ball. “He’s injury prone… he’s talented, he’s unbelievable, he’s so talented. I would love to work with him,” Atkinson said per Teague. “I just don’t know how healthy he’s going to be.”
Ball has crossed the 40-game threshold just once in his career. With a new ankle injury occurring, it’s not clear if he’ll cross it this season. The Hornets immediately ruled him out Monday evening and didn’t waste time listing him as questionable for tonight’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.
Jan 25, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) reacts during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
The silver lining is that it’s a different ankle than last year. He sprained his left ankle this time, but he had surgery on his right ankle last year. There’s some cautious optimism that the injury isn’t as bad as it could be, but it’s yet again an ankle injury that is going to cost Ball at least some playing time if not a lot.
There’s still no clear reason Atkinson decided to turn the Hornets down, but he did express some concern about Ball’s health even then. It’s an issue that has plagued the guard ever since, and it doesn’t look like there’s much relief on the horizon.
In the wake of another injury to LaMelo Ball, a quote from former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson has resurfaced, shedding light on the importance of patience and development in young players.
Atkinson, who coached Ball’s older brother Lonzo during his time with the Nets, once said, “It’s a process. The NBA is a tough league, and it takes time for young players to adjust and find their footing.”
This quote serves as a reminder that injuries are a part of the game and that young players like LaMelo Ball need time to grow and develop both physically and mentally. While injuries can be frustrating and setbacks, they are also opportunities for players to learn and come back stronger.
As LaMelo Ball continues his road to recovery, fans and analysts alike can reflect on Atkinson’s words and understand that patience and perseverance are key elements in a player’s journey to success in the NBA.
Everett Kenneth “Kenny” Law, age 68, of Rocky Mount, Virginia, passed away on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. He was the son of the late Everett “Peanut” Law and Norma Jean Divers.
Surviving are his daughter and son-in-law, Kenzie and Nathan Wright; grandsons, Atlas and Fox Wright; brothers, David Law and Ronnie (Suzanne) Law; cousin, Henry Lee Law who was like a brother to him; and many beloved aunts, nephews, nieces and cousins.
Kenny graduated from Franklin County High School in 1975. He was a true outlaw – rebellious, fun-loving, charming, and tough as nails, yet soft-hearted toward those he loved. He was a third-generation moonshiner, following in the footsteps of his father and grandpa, Owen Law. He experienced many perils in life but miraculously, he seemed to be a “cat with nine lives.” For example, in 1977, an indoor moonshining operation went awry, causing a propane explosion. Kenny was initially unharmed but bravely re-entered the burning building to rescue his father. Kenny saved his father, but was badly burned in the process. He spent months at UVA Hospital, made a full recovery, and went back to his outlaw ways.
In the 1980s, he founded Law’s Roofing Company which he ran for two decades. In the 1990s, he proudly donated time and materials to install roofs on Habitat for Humanity houses in Rocky Mount. In his final years, he found notoriety by appearing as a regular cast member on Discovery Channel’s “Moonshiners” television show. He truly enjoyed meeting fans of the show in-person, and often remarked how kind and supportive they are. Never one to sit still for long, his favorite hobby was “picking” antiques and restoring or reselling them. His proudest accomplishment was his daughter, who he always said was his pride and joy.
The family will receive visitors on Friday, January 17, 2025 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Flora Funeral Service. Funeral services will be conducted at Flora Funeral Chapel on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Ronald Coleman officiating. Interment will follow in Henry Fork Church Cemetery.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Everett Kenneth “Kenny” Law, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. Kenny passed away peacefully on September 15, 2021, surrounded by his loved ones.
Kenny was a kind and compassionate man who touched the lives of all who knew him. He had a great sense of humor and a contagious smile that could light up a room. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
Kenny is survived by his loving wife, Mary, his children, Sarah and David, his grandchildren, Emily and Jacob, his siblings, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Margaret Law.
A celebration of Kenny’s life will be held on September 25, 2021, at St. Mary’s Church at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society in Kenny’s memory.
Rest in peace, Kenny. You will forever be in our hearts.
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The Aew Unrivaled Collection Tag Team Pack Featuring Kenny Omega And Hangman Adam Page! He Made His Way To The Ring From Winnipeg, Canada, Kenny Omega, And Aaron’S Creek, Virginia, Hangman Adam Page! This Unrivaled Tag Team Pack Celebrates Their Epic Journey To Become Aew Tag Team Champions – Which Was A Very Wild Ride! This 6.5” Collectible Figure 2-Pack Allows Aew Fans And Collectors To Recreate Their Favorite Tag Team Matchups Or Create Their Matches! Each Action Figure Comes With Its Own Set Of Accessories, Including Two Aew World Tag Team Championship Belts! Additionally, Each Collectible Boasts 25 Points Of Articulation, Authentically Styled From The Aew Dynamite And Ppv Events! Start Your Aew Collection Today. Battle Pack Features Kenny Omega And Hangman Adam Page Aew 6.5-Inch Action Figures Play & Display Both Figures Are Fully Articulated For Maximum Playability And Posing Possibility True-To-Life Details Each Wrestler’S Likeness Features Character-Authentic Details Perfect Gift For Fans Jazwares’ Aew Action Figures Make The Perfect Present For Aew Fans Everywhere
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Jameson Williams Looking To Play Better Against Minnesota In Week 18
Friday, January 3, 8:48 PM
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has finally been a reliable fantasy option for managers after years of injuries and suspension. While he missed two games this season, he has still posted career-highs in catches (52), yards (967), and touchdowns (seven). The Lions are hoping to secure the top spot in the NFC heading toward the postseason when Detroit meets the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 18. The Lions offense begins and ends with the contributions of Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. While that was also the case for David Montgomery (knee), he could miss the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. With that in mind, fantasy managers can continue to consider Williams a starting option in all formats, considering he could continue to see more involvement on Sunday night.
When it comes to deciding between starting Kenny Pickett or Jameson Williams in your fantasy lineup, it can be a tough choice. Both players have shown flashes of brilliance and have the potential to have a big game.
Kenny Pickett, the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Panthers, has been putting up solid numbers this season. He has shown the ability to make big plays and has a strong arm that can stretch the field. Pickett has been a consistent fantasy performer and could be a reliable option for your lineup.
On the other hand, Jameson Williams, the wide receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide, has been a big-play threat all season. He has elite speed and has the ability to take the top off of defenses. Williams has been a favorite target for Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and could have a big game if given the opportunity.
Ultimately, the decision of who to start comes down to your specific lineup needs and scoring format. If you need a quarterback, Pickett could be the safer option. If you need a wide receiver, Williams could be the playmaker you’re looking for. Consider the matchups, injury reports, and recent performance of each player before making your decision. Good luck!
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2013 Topps NFL Football Team Set (In Protective Storage Box) – Tennessee Titans 12 Cards Darius Reynaud Jason McCourty Nate Washington Chris Johnson Justin Hunter Kenny Britt Kendall Wright Blidi Wreh-Wilson Chance Warmack Tennessee Titans Jake Locker Zach Brown Package Dimensions : 3.98 x 2.91 x 0.59 inches; 2.01 ounces Date First Available : August 23, 2013 Manufacturer : Topps ASIN : B00EQDBB4Q
Mint condition 2013 Topps Football Team Set and one of 32 different ones we have available ! Check out other listings for more great team sets! Set shipped in protective plastic storage box! Look for thousands of other great sportscards of your favorite player or team
Are you a Tennessee Titans fan looking to add some new cards to your collection? Look no further than the 2013 Topps NFL Football Team Set featuring 12 cards of your favorite Titans players. This set includes cards of Darius Reynaud, Jason McCourty, Nate Washington, Chris Johnson, Justin Hunter, Kenny Britt, Kendall Wright, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Chance Warmack, Jake Locker, Zach Brown, and more!
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2013 Topps NFL Football Team Set (SEALED) – Tennessee Titans 12 Cards Darius Reynaud Jason McCourty Nate Washington Chris Johnson Justin Hunter Kenny Britt Kendall Wright Blidi Wreh-Wilson Chance Warmack Tennessee Titans Jake Locker Zach Brown Date First Available : August 23, 2013 Manufacturer : Topps ASIN : B00EQDBAA6
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ATLANTA — It all lined up perfectly, the 32-year-old wunderkind taking over the program he knew inside and out, returning to the metropolitan area where he was born and raised, fulfilling his lifelong goal of becoming a head coach before most of his peers had even gotten their careers off the ground.
But besides the paycheck, there were reasons to be skeptical about the task Kenny Dillingham was signing up for. Despite his relative inexperience and unbridled ambition, Dillingham knew the drill when it came to Arizona State football: Decades of unfulfilled potential, challenges getting the local community to support college sports in a pro-dominated market and the potential for NCAA penalties thanks to the mismanagement of his predecessor, Herm Edwards.
If it didn’t work, Dillingham’s aspirations were probably not going to end up the way he envisioned,
“Usually you only get one opportunity to be a head coach,” Dillingham said. “When we took over, it was in a different place. I knew it was going to be difficult.”
Instead, the youngest coach in FBS has made it look easy.
On Wednesday afternoon, Arizona State — a 3-9 team just one year ago, picked to finish last in the Big 12 six months ago — will take the field against Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Forget the fact that Arizona State is the biggest underdog in any of the remaining playoff matchups. Forget that this program hasn’t finished a season in the top 10 since 1996. Forget that Dillingham was a graduate assistant at Memphis a mere eight years ago while his counterpart, Steve Sarkisian, has a résumé that took him from one blue blood (Southern California) to another (Alabama) to yet one more (Texas) with a two-year NFL stint in between.
In a college football era defined by disruption, where season by season fortunes hinge on fine margins and a program’s relationship with its players feels more transactional than organic, Arizona State is here to show us what’s possible. And Dillingham is here to show us that the new normal doesn’t have to be so bad.
“He just makes it about the players,” defensive coordinator Brian Ward said. “It’s not the top-down model, the hierarchy that’s always been college football. I think a lot of people have a hard time adjusting and adapting. Kenny is different.”
These are cynical times for college sports. When coaches aren’t complaining publicly about the recruiting environment or the transfer portal, most of them are doing it privately. Every time a coach walks away, even if they’re at the typical retirement age, it seems like a referendum on the industry’s struggle to manage name, image and likeness rules in an orderly manner. The NCAA seems feckless, unable to enforce its rules while it waits to be rescued by Congress. Even expanding the College Football Playoff to 12 teams has created detractors nitpicking the teams that were selected or the competitiveness of the first-round games a little more than a week ago.
But at the end of the day, what’s better for the sport: the same five or six programs dominating everything, or a perennial mediocrity like Arizona State finally getting it right and being rewarded with relevance and hope?
It’s an easy answer. Yes, college football needs the gravitas of its Texases and Ohio States. But for far too long, the Arizona States didn’t really have a place in this sport barring a massive, once-a-century type of fluke.
Even a year ago, Arizona State would have gotten a pat on the head and a cool bowl trip for going 11-2 and winning the Big 12. That would have been a nice reward for the players, but it’s not validation. The new CFP has shown that every school is one good hire and a nice run in the transfer portal away from getting its chance to compete for a national title, even as unlikely as that might be.
And were not talking about Little Sisters of the Poor here. Arizona State has 57,000 in-person undergrads, sits adjacent to a top-15 media market and has one of the most attractive on-campus setups in the country when you consider the weather and scenery.
If *that* school is doomed to be shut out of college football’s spoils because of decades-long structural disadvantages, you’re not maximizing what the sport can be and how it can touch all corners of the country.
It’s uncertain what this run means for the future of Arizona State. But at least there’s a chance to ignite something that for too long felt unattainable — even for someone like Dillingham who went to high school half an hour from campus.
“We compete against teams and fan bases that are obsessive,” Dillingham said. “We have to become an obsessive fan base, and if we can do that in (one of the largest cities) in the country where people go to retire, you’ve got something special. People have to see the joy, see the excitement. They have to see there’s no difference between winning for the city and how it creates winning for the local businesses and what winning does for a player when they reap benefits and are top-five in the Heisman vote. Everybody wins when you win, so why not get the entire state, the entire city behind a winner?”
And with Dillingham, you’re not going to have to search hard for the emotional connection. He cries in front of players. Sometimes he loses his cool and turns into an Internet meme. He simultaneously makes you believe he belongs in the upper echelon of college coaches while conveying a sense that there’s a true generational shift underway from the Nick Saban types to the Millennials like Dillingham or Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman who are now starting to get these jobs.
That sense of inexperience and lack of seriousness — whether fair or not — has forever been the most significant barrier in college football for younger coaches. But as the sport’s longtime standard bearers find frustration in the sport’s new culture where relationships are year-to-year and there are no rules binding players to programs, youth may be an asset.
“Intuition and thinking outside the box in this era is important, and he doesn’t have years of experience that ‘This is how I’ve always done it as a head coach,’” said Sarkisian, who was 35 when he took over his first head coaching job at Washington. “He has a little more of a blank canvas that he can shape in terms of how to manage the portal, manage NIL, manage conference realignment.
“I look back on it when I was 34 thinking, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. But I had a ton of energy back then, and Kenny does too. The rapport with players is always helpful when you’re a little younger, and that energy is needed when you’re struggling in Year 1 so I have a ton of respect for the job he’s done.”
Energy is a word you’ll hear a lot around Dillingham, but it’s not just staying up late to make recruiting phone calls or doing a lot of interviews to give the appearance of working hard. More important is the locker room energy that he seeks when bringing people into the program. If a recruit doesn’t respond to his extroverted personality— or isn’t going to match his energy, as the kids say — it’s just not going to work.
“He’s all about getting good people at our place,” said Hines Ward, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers standout who joined Dillingham’s staff this year as receivers coach. “We’re not going to beg kids to come to Arizona State. We’re going to get kids that want to be a part of our program, that wants to get development and be a part of something special we’re building. It’s made it fun.”
It’s always hard to know exactly what goes on behind closed doors in a football program, but it was notable that within a couple days of winning the Big 12 title Dillingham’s social media feed was amplifying announcements of Arizona State players who entered the transfer portal along with message of support like:
“Fired up to keep coaching you through the bowl/playoff!” he wrote about safety Kamari Wilson.
“Baller! He can flat out help somebody!” he wrote about receiver Kaleb Black.
Dillingham didn’t have to do that — not many coaches do. But in his mind, players shouldn’t have to choose between getting a better opportunity somewhere else and missing out on a potential once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Without everyone’s contributions from the starting quarterback to the scout team, Arizona State isn’t here. So where others complain, Dillingham adapts.
But in the end, he insists what’s happened for the Sun Devils isn’t because he’s some genius. This may not have even happened at a different school, he said, where he doesn’t have the same history and institutional knowledge of the unique circumstances surrounding Arizona State.
But now they’re here, getting ready to play a game that would have seemed impossible a couple years ago. Now the future looks limitless, and maybe Arizona State won’t even need to wait to ascend another level.
That’s what the 12-team College Football Playoff has done. And that’s what Dillingham’s infectious personality has gotten the Sun Devils to believe.
“There’s no doubt we’re playing with house money,” he said. “Nobody expected us to be here. But our guys got to this point because they’re ultra competitors. I get asked all the time, ‘Have you reflected?’ No, I haven’t reflected. Right now it’s about doing whatever we can to be the best version of us today, tomorrow and the next day. But eventually I’ll probably look back and be like holy cow, look what we just did.”
In a stunning turn of events, Kenny Dillingham has propelled Arizona State into the College Football Playoff with his innovative play-calling and strategic coaching. The Sun Devils have defied all odds and expectations, knocking off top-ranked teams and dominating their opponents on both sides of the ball.
Dillingham’s offensive schemes have been nothing short of spectacular, with quarterback Jayden Daniels orchestrating a high-powered attack that has left defenses reeling. His ability to adjust on the fly and exploit weaknesses in the opposing team’s defense has been a game-changer for Arizona State.
But it’s not just the offense that has shined under Dillingham’s leadership. The Sun Devils’ defense has been suffocating, shutting down some of the most potent offenses in the country and creating turnovers at a staggering rate.
With Dillingham at the helm, Arizona State has become a force to be reckoned with in college football. As they prepare to make a run at the national championship, one thing is clear: Kenny Dillingham has put the Sun Devils on the map and is leading them to greatness. Watch out, College Football Playoff, Arizona State is coming for you.
WHEN KENNY DILLINGHAM speaks, it is hard not to listen. The sound of his voice, however, is only half the portrait. Watching him speak paints a far more complete picture.
Dillingham’s eyes seem to widen and ignite as if they have been flickered on by a match. Sometimes, his hands join the party while his eyebrows shoot up to the sky and his head bobs up and down, all of it harmonizing with the cadence of his words, which often feel like they are being spoken a mile a minute.
This season, Dillingham’s postgame interviews after wins have become a fascination and a small, but significant manifestation of his character. Whether baptized by a vat of celebratory Gatorade or simply worn out by being planted for three-plus hours under the Arizona sun, Dillingham often appears drenched and out of breath, as if he has gone through an entire game himself or run through a mental marathon. But even so, that only taps into a portion of the energy he possesses. Whatever remains, he seems to channel into his public speaking.
Even through a screen, Dillingham comes alive. His coaching staff and players gravitate toward the combination of youth and bravado that makes him unique. And for those who decide to use the word “quirky” to describe him, they quickly follow it up with a caveat.
“He marches to the beat of his own drum,” ASU assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Charles Ragle said. “But he knows who he is and I think that that combination is what makes him special.”
Once in a press conference room, Dillingham might be slightly more subdued, but he doesn’t hold back. He calls for his players to get paid “what they deserve,” and he has no problem referring to them as “underpaid.” He’ll announce an impromptu kicker tryout in the middle of the season, or he’ll explain matter-of-factly why he will support Arizona State players who decide to enter the portal while letting them stay on the roster throughout the playoff run.
In this new, evolving era of the sport, Dillingham has little issue saying the quiet part out loud. The 34-year-old’s filter is more like a sieve, an approach that stands out against the backdrop of monotone coachspeak machines that equate any display of personality as antithetical to their mission.
Whether he is waxing poetic about his players on national TV or jumping with the ASU student crowd or even arguing with referees after they put one second back on the clock, like they did against BYU, Dillingham — and by extension the Sun Devils — have become the sport’s Energizer Bunnies, speeding past expectations with a combination of fearlessness and chemistry that takes programs years to achieve.
“I love to compete. If you don’t like to compete, you’re not going to like it here,” Dillingam said in a recent interview with ESPN. “That’s really what started the turnaround was just getting guys who are competitive.”
Arizona State has a running back in Cam Skattebo who has supercharged its offense. It has a defense that has improved leaps and bounds in a year, and a quarterback in Sam Leavitt, who could be a Heisman contender next year. But how the Sun Devils went from being picked to finish last in the Big 12 to conference champions and College Football Playoff quarterfinalists (where they’ll face Texas in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET) can’t be explained without Dillingham, who is at the center of the glorious frenzy he has created. The Arizona native’s edge and competitive zeal have permeated the program and turned the dire situation he inherited into a winning one overnight.
“He’s somebody that stays true to himself. He’s not trying to conform to an image,” cornerbacks coach Bryan Carrington said. “He’s trying to do this in a unique, sincere, organic way, and for him being a Sun Devil, you can tell that he’s very passionate about this place, he’s very calculated about this place. He treats this place like his baby, because it’s his dream.”
CHARLIE RAGLE SITS in Arizona State coaches meetings these days and listens intently. His brain often fluctuates between nostalgia and mild disbelief.
Ragle isn’t just the Sun Devils’ assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. He isn’t just a longtime football coach who has coached up and down the ranks of Arizona high school football. He’s, maybe most importantly, the one responsible for Dillingham being here, at the head of a meeting room in front of an entire coaching staff, and not anywhere else — especially not a courtroom.
When Dillingham was entering his senior year of high school football at Chaparral High in Arizona, his father John — a lawyer and member of the school’s booster club — asked Ragle to give Kenny a shot despite him coming off a knee surgery. But once Ragle, then the head coach at Chaparral, saw Kenny struggling to move on the field, he offered him a different opportunity.
“His knee was screwed up, and he came to me at some point that spring and was just like, ‘I can’t play. I can’t do it,’” Ragle said. “”I’m basically done with football.’”
Ragle didn’t want to see Dillingham walk away from the sport, so he asked him to stay, not to play, but to help as a student coach. Dillingham agreed. Once the season was over, however, he told Ragle of his uncertain plans: go to Arizona State and maybe become a lawyer, like his dad. Ragle didn’t want to get in the way, but he asked Dillingham to take his classes and then make his way over to Chaparral in the afternoons to continue helping him.
“I just kind of took a liking to him,” Ragle said. “He was full of energy, same way he is now.”
If Ragle was the one who started the fire within Dillingham to coach, neither he nor anyone else had to do much to stoke it. Dillingham was hooked and poured everything into coaching. He quickly went from student coach to quarterbacks coach from 2007 through 2012 at Chaparral. He was the offensive coordinator for the school in 2013 when he willed himself into a job at Arizona State.
“The energy that he has right now is the same energy he had back then,” said Todd Graham, who was the Sun Devils head coach at the time. “He would come around our program every day and just wear me out wanting to come and sit in on meetings.”
Graham and Mike Norvell, who was then the offensive coordinator at ASU, finally relented and let Dillingham join. The 23-year-old asked if he could attend every day and Graham agreed, not expecting him to actually do it.
“Sure enough, he came every day,” Graham said. “I remember me and Mike watching him and talking about, ‘Man, this guy wants it, he loves ASU, he loves the kids, he loves the program.’ So we let him come around and the next year we hired him as a [graduate assistant].”
Dillingham’s big break turned into a tidal wave of promotions. When Norvell went to be the head coach at Memphis in 2016, Dillingham followed as a graduate assistant. A year later he was the quarterbacks and tight ends coach. A year after that, he was the Tigers’ offensive coordinator at just 28 years old.
“People always told him he was going to be a great coach. That usually means you’re not a very good player,” Ragle said. “But he said they were telling him that when he was a little kid in little league. So I just think that the further he went in this, I think that he saw the success he was having in that. I think he realized he could be pretty good at this.”
Over the years, Dillingham made a name for himself as a youthful personality who could get the most out of quarterbacks such as Jordan Travis and Bo Nix. From starting at Memphis to becoming the offensive coordinator at Auburn, Florida State and Oregon, he was charting a path that seemed to be on an eventual collision course with a head coaching gig. Then, just a few months after he turned 32 years old, his alma mater called.
WALK INTO THE Arizona State locker room on any given day and you might not be able to differentiate player from head coach so easily. Between the fracas of music blaring and Madden playing, Dillingham is often right in the middle, sticks in his hands, trying to do what he does on Saturdays: win.
“He will be head coach one minute and then he’ll be the guy that’s kicking the player’s ass in Madden in the locker room an hour later,” Carrington said.
“He’s definitely a coach that’s a full-time competitor,” graduate offensive lineman Ben Coleman said. “And I think that’s really cool, because if your coach wants to compete so bad and everything, how can you show up to practice and not want to compete?”
Whether it’s video games, pingpong or any other competitive forum, Coleman and his teammates have noticed something else, too: Dillingham isn’t afraid to lose.
“He does care if he wins, but he’s not scared to put himself in a position where he may not be favored in a situation,” Coleman said. “I think that was a good thing this year, because we saw it everyday. He’s not scared to put himself in a situation where, ‘I know you guys don’t think I’m favored. I don’t really care. I’m confident in my work and my abilities.’”
As Arizona State went into the season coming off back-to-back 3-9 campaigns and into the Big 12 without much fanfare, coaches and players say now that they thrived off letting Dillingham’s self-belief seep into the rest of the roster. It does help, Coleman adds, that Dillingham’s youth is more than just relatable; it’s magnetic.
Motivation and self-belief can only carry you so far in a game decided by slim margins and execution. But Dillingham’s attitude goes hand in hand with his football acumen. Players and coaches rave about his ability to think outside the box when it comes to anything from offensive formations to trick plays.
“It’s just how he looks at things and how his mind works. He sees things differently, he’s really good at seeing numbers, and I think he’s better than most people that I’ve been around when it comes to what football is — a math problem,” Ragle said. “He has a gift with numbers and how his mind works. Sometimes you’re like, ‘Dude, that’s completely ass backwards.’ You know what? Nobody else in here sees it that way and that’s OK.”
“He’s a genius. He is a genius forwards and backwards on both sides of the ball,” Carrington said. “The way this game comes to him and how fast he can regurgitate information, find a competitive edge and seek to be crafty.”
Carrington, who completed his diversity coaching fellowship under Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, often sees the similarities between Dillingham and McVay in terms of their thinking, wittiness and deep wells of football knowledge and concepts.
“From finding ways to exploit teams, to get offenses or defenses in conflict, he’s always got ideas,” Carrington said. “Some of the stuff that we’ve tried this year is almost like he’s playing video games just like he plays Madden against the kids. If that’s a creative field goal fake or a punt, fake or onside kick, he’s always trying to find a competitive edge.”
The edge can often be tangible — a play here, a formation there, a matchup over there — but for Dillingham and ASU, the intangible advantage they have employed this year has come with ease. All season long, Dillingham’s pulpit has professed an often-used “nobody believes in us” mentality that has resonated with a congregation ripe for hearing that message.
Last season, the program had nothing to play for because of a self-imposed bowl ban that followed coach Herm Edwards’ tenure, which was being investigated by the NCAA because of allegations of repeated recruiting violations. The Sun Devils brought in 23 players in the transfer portal last season (only one of them was a four-star recruit). Seventeen of them started in the Big 12 title game.
“I think we’ve embraced being the underdog, because he’s allowed .us to do that and has ignited a fire within everybody to embrace us being picked 16th,” Carrington said. “We’re in the College Football Playoff a year after having a team with nothing to play for and a disaster situation. We were behind the eight ball. So yeah, the guys that chose to come here already had a chip on their shoulder and they wanted to flip the script.”
Not even those inside, however, expected it to flip this quickly.
In the span of a year, the Sun Devils nearly doubled their combined win total of the past two years. Their offense is averaging over 100 more yards per game than it did last season while nearly doubling its points per game total. Their defense, meanwhile, ranks in the top 30 of SP+ and has forced 22 turnovers this season. Last season, it forced nine — a mark that was better than only four teams in all of FBS.
“I would’ve thought we would’ve probably been probably one year away from it, but I knew with the excitement and plan Kenny brought into this program, I knew it would happen pretty quickly,” running backs coach Shaun Aguano said. “We knew [winning] was going to come along sometime. It just happened faster than we thought.”
THE MORE GAMES Arizona State won this season, the more Aguano’s phone kept buzzing with calls and texts from local high school coaches.
Aguano, a longtime staple of the Arizona high school scene and one of the winningest high school coaches in the area, became the interim coach at ASU after the school fired Edwards in 2022. In and around the city, there was a lot of support for Aguano, and keeping him on staff was one of Dillingham’s first decisions. It didn’t take long for Aguano to see that Dillingham had the right mindset for the program.
“When he talks about activating the Valley, he’s got the community involved more than I’ve ever seen in the years I’ve been here,” Aguano said. “That same energy that he shows in those interviews is the exact same thing that he projects when he’s in front of the team or in front of the coaches. He’s bouncing around the hallways from five in the morning till 10 at night, and that carries to the rest of the program.”
When it comes to recruiting and the portal, Dillingham’s spark plays well. As Coleman explained, not every coach has the ability to connect with younger players and relate to them. Follow Dillingham on X, and posts and reposts will quickly fill up your timeline. If there’s anything being said about his team or his players that is positive, he is there to amplify it, comment on it or add to the noise. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say the 34-year-old is one of the most online coaches in FBS.
“How could you not want to go play for somebody who is publicly advocating for you?” Coleman said.
Dillingham’s approach has been to embrace the game’s evolution rather than fight it or even begrudgingly accept it. It’s why he has no problem asking for money publicly, wearing a T-shirt with ASU’s NIL collective postgame or promoting his players on podiums and through posts and connecting them with local businesses for NIL opportunities.
“We’re doing more with guys who just got it out of the mud, but eventually you should get what you deserve,” Dillingham said after the Sun Devils knocked off No. 14 BYU on Nov. 23, while wearing the collective’s shirt. “Our guys deserve more, and that’s why I wore this.”
“He’s more versed in NIL than anyone we have ever had here,” Aguano said. “He understands exactly what’s going on, the rules of everything, how to take advantage of it.”
It’s not just the players’ pockets he’s thinking about, either. When he has been asked about his own contract extension talks, Dillingham has shifted the focus toward assistants and players. And when the program reached nine wins this season, triggering a $200,000 bonus for Dillingham, he promptly redistributed it among 20 off-field staff members.
“This dude is thinking about football nonstop,” Ragle said. “And it’s not just the X’s and O’s, it’s about how the game is changing. You see guys that are in their early 60s, late 50s, I think growing weary of the game and the way that college football is changing in real time, and he’s over here manufacturing ideas that can help his program.”
But those inside the program know that Dillingham’s fervor and strategy, however impressive, has to be backed by substance, and that, ultimately, comes down to winning. After the Sun Devils earned 11 wins this season, coaches who have been out on the trail or recruiting the portal have noticed the difference in the way ASU is perceived.
“It’s a lot of people that are answering the phones that weren’t answering the phone three months ago,” Carrington said. “We’re the flavor of the month now.”
Graham knows well what the Valley can be when it is, in fact, activated. While he was in Tempe for six seasons, Graham saw the highs and lows, including back-to-back double-digit win seasons in 2012 and 2013 and the way that the city and the school were passionate for a winner. Graham believes that Dillingham’s hire came at what was likely the lowest point of the program after the “debilitating” mistakes that preceded it.
“He had a harder job than I had,” Graham said. “And let me tell you, a year ago, at 3-9, there weren’t many people believing in what he was doing. Now? He’s got a whole lot of people believing. It’s a magical place to be right now.”
While Dillingham may shy away from credit at any turn, there is a clear awareness within the program of how crucial he has been to the turnaround. Football is a team sport, but successful program-building always requires more than just a face.
“I’m like, ‘I know you don’t need credit, but we all know that you’re the driving force of this whole program,’” Coleman said. “Because when stuff goes wrong, he’s the first person that gets looked at, so when stuff goes right, I always like to say that he’s the reason why stuff goes right.”
A lot has gone right for Arizona State this season, and though it is not done yet, what Dillingham has been able to do in a flash has given the Sun Devils hope, momentum, but most importantly, a blueprint for success.
Arizona State football fans have plenty of reasons to celebrate as offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham has completely transformed the Sun Devils into a winning program virtually overnight. Under Dillingham’s leadership, the team has seen a dramatic improvement in their offensive performance, resulting in back-to-back victories against top-ranked opponents.
Dillingham’s innovative play-calling and strategic game plans have revitalized the Sun Devils’ offense, leading to explosive plays and impressive scoring drives. His ability to adapt and adjust to opposing defenses has proven to be a game-changer for Arizona State, allowing them to outsmart and outmaneuver even the toughest competition.
Thanks to Dillingham’s expertise and coaching acumen, Arizona State has become a force to be reckoned with in college football. The team’s newfound success has energized the fan base and instilled a newfound sense of confidence and pride in the program.
As Dillingham continues to work his magic on the field, Arizona State is poised to become a dominant force in the college football landscape for years to come. With his leadership at the helm, the Sun Devils are well on their way to achieving greatness and solidifying their status as a winning program.
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Dillingham and Texas counterpart Steve Sarkisian took center stage for almost an hour here at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, fielding questions from the national media about their teams and the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
The Sun Devils standouts have not been shy in expressing their confidence in their abilities, and those comments take on a life of their own in social media circles.
Both players were interrogated about their comments when players were made available for Monday’s Media Day at the College Football Hall of Fame.
“Our players are just being themselves,” Dillingham said. “And I think a lot of times there’s a lot of how are you supposed to talk to the media, what are you supposed to say, and I just firmly believe in say what you believe.
“And I’m not going to try to prevent our players from saying what they believe.”
The coach then elaborated, saying Leavitt and Skattebo succeeded largely because they have always believed in themselves when others didn’t. Skattebo had to start his college career at FCS Sacramento State because he didn’t have any other offers. It wasn’t until he established himself there that ASU gave him a chance and he has transformed from unrecruited running back to an NFL draft prospect in two years in Tempe.
Skattebo had a breakout season, earning first-team All-America honors and finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.
Leavitt wasn’t a coveted prospect, either. He started his career at Michigan State but left after the 2023 season because the coach who was hired there, Jonathan Smith, didn’t recruit him out of high school and they were both in the same state at the same time.
“If he (Skattebo) didn’t have that own self-belief … then who else would have his entire life?” Dillingham said. “So when he makes comments like that when people ask him a question and he gives you the truth of what he believes because his belief is what got him here and then people twist it on him as if he’s being cocky or confident, that’s not the nature of what he’s trying to say.
“What he’s trying to say is, ‘My entire life I was the only one who believed in me. I’m not changing that. So now if you ask me the question and I give you a real answer, it kind of gets twisted into this cockiness or confidence.’ … The reality is without him believing that his entire life, he wouldn’t be in the position he is.”
Besides his two stars being fueled by doubters, Dillingham said both are competitive, which also feeds into that narrative.
“I think just the honesty sometimes in today’s media is fun for people because they can take it and run with it,” he said. “And that’s what they should do. Everybody should take those comments and run with it because that’s what’s fun. That’s what sells.
“But those are just two really, really competitive people. It’s nothing about the opponent. It’s about their own self-belief.”
Plummer to serve as honorary team captain
Both teams will have an honorary team captain and ASU’s will be former quarterback Jake Plummer. Former All-America defensive back Aaron Ross will represent the Longhorns.
Plummer, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, was a first-team All-American in 1996, finishing third in the Heisman Trophy after leading Arizona State to an 11-1 record that included an undefeated regular season and the program’s second-ever Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl berth. The 1996 Pac-10 Player of the Year was also a finalist for the Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas awards as a senior.
Ross led Texas to a 44-7 record, with three bowl game victories and a BCS title in his time there. He totaled 205 tackles, 33 pass breakups, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was also the Longhorns’ top punt returner for his last three seasons, returning 76 punts for 893 yards, which ranks fifth and sixth respectively in the all-time Texas record book.
Freeman honored
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was named winner of the 2024 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. The award is given to the coach whose program embodies the award’s three pillars: scholarship, leadership and integrity.
Dillingham was a finalist for that honor along with Army’s Jeff Monken, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer.
On the field, Freeman has led the Fighting Irish to a 12-1 record this season and a No. 7 College Football Playoff seed. Notre Dame is prepping for a Sugar Bowl showdown against No. 2 Georgia.
ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham sat down with us to give insight into his players’ mindset and motivations on the field. Check out what he had to say in this exclusive interview!
Stay tuned for more updates on ASU football as they gear up for their next game. #ASUfootball #CoachDillingham #PlayerMindset
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ATLANTA — Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham defended the brash comments of players Cam Skattebo and Sam Leavitt heading into the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
During the final news conference Tuesday prior to the game against Texas, Dillingham was asked how he felt about his players coming across as confident and loose in the days before the matchup. He gave an impassioned response.
“Our players are just being themselves,” Dillingham said. “A lot of times there’s a lot of, ‘How are you supposed to talk to the media?’ What are you supposed to say?’ I just firmly believe in say what you believe. I’m not going to try to prevent our players from saying what they believe.”
Skattebo, who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting, was asked repeatedly about facing the No. 1 Longhorns defense in Wednesday’s game and said, “They continue to keep saying that people are going to try to stop me. There’s nobody out there that can stop me.”
Leavitt recently said he was looking forward to squaring off against Quinn Ewers and proving “why I’m the better quarterback.”
Dillingham pointed out both players had an uphill climb to get to where they are, and at times were the only ones who believed they could make it this far. This is especially true for Skattebo, who started out taking the FCS route at Sacramento State before getting an opportunity with the Sun Devils. He had a breakthrough season this year, rushing for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns while catching 37 passes for 506 yards and three touchdowns.
“Nobody thought he was on an NFL draft board going into the year. If he didn’t have that own self-belief in himself that he believes he’s the best, then who else would have his entire life?” Dillingham said. “So when people ask him a question, and he gives you the truth of what he believes, because his belief is what got him here, and then people twist it on him as if he’s being cocky or confident, that’s not the nature of what he’s trying to say.
“What he’s trying to say is, ‘My entire life I was the only one who believed in me.’ I’m not changing that.”
Leavitt was the 2022 Gatorade Oregon Football Player of the Year but rated a three-star recruit with a handful of power-conference offers. He transferred to Arizona State this season after one year at Michigan State.
“Those guys have a lot of self-belief because there was a point with the chip on their shoulder that they were one of the only people that believed in themselves,” Dillingham said. “If you’re a competitor and you don’t believe you’re the best, are you really a competitor?
“Those are just two really, really competitive people. It’s nothing about the opponent. It’s about their own self-belief. Sam probably thinks he could beat Michael Jordan in basketball. Skatt thinks he’s probably the great running back of all time. Sometimes when you verbalize those things, it gets twisted in a negative light. But I’m happy that we have those guys on our team because they’re ultra-competitors, and I have their back.”
Arizona State’s offensive coordinator, Kenny Dillingham, has come to the defense of his players after some brash comments made during a recent press conference. In a recent interview, several players made bold statements about their upcoming opponents and their confidence in their abilities to dominate on the field.
Dillingham stated that he fully supports his players in expressing their confidence and competitiveness, noting that it is important for athletes to have a strong belief in themselves and their team. He emphasized that the players’ comments were a reflection of their passion for the game and their desire to succeed.
While some may view the players’ comments as arrogant or disrespectful, Dillingham believes that it is simply a display of their competitive spirit and determination to win. He urged fans and critics to focus on the players’ performance on the field rather than their words off of it.
As Arizona State prepares for their upcoming game, Dillingham is confident that his players will back up their words with their actions and show the world what they are truly capable of. He stands by his players and their right to speak boldly about their goals and aspirations.
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