"If you don't wanna be here, leave!": When Kenny Dillingham recalled his no-nonsense approach to distracted ASU players in NIL-driven era

The Arizona State Sun Devils brought in Kenny Dillingham as their head coach from Oregon in November 2022. The game of college football has changed in the modern NIL-driven era, and Dillingham is one of the head coaches who is not afraid to vocalize his thoughts on the changing landscape.

After joining the program, Kenny Dillingham made an appearance on the "Bussin' With the Boys" podcast in August 2023. During this interview, he opened up about his tactics of dealing with distracted players in the NIL era.

Dillingham had a no-nonsense approach with players who prioritized NIL deals over the program. He stated that maintaining culture is the top priority for him at Arizona State.

"I tell people, if you don't wanna be here, leave, because I firmly believe culture wins," Dillingham said. "So it's if you don't wanna be here, leave. That's fine. ... I don't care if our three best players are in the portal. I wouldn't want it, and I don't believe that's gonna happen."

"It is because we've built a good culture here. But I wouldn't beg them to stay, because that's how you build a bad culture. ... So don't be selfish when I make this team better and I challenge them, I just tell them that, there are no guarantees on this team... It is win and earn your keep." (TS-23:45 onwards)

In his first campaign with the Sun Devils, Kenny Dillingham led them to an underwhelming 3-9 campaign in the Pac-12 in 2023. After the recent conference alignment, they became a part of the Big 12, where Arizona State was projected to finish at the bottom of the conference.

However, Kenny Dillingham and his team exceeded all expectations. They secured the Big 12 title with a victory over Iowa State and also a spot in the 12-team playoff. Unfortunately, their playoff run was brought to an end by the Longhorns in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal game.

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Kenny Dillingham is not interested in coaching at the NFL level

On the same podcast episode, Kenny Dillingham was questioned about potentially searching for a job in the NFL. The Arizona State head coach had a blunt answer, stating that he was 'comfortable' with the salary and the job satisfaction at the collegiate level.

"Not really," Dillingham said. "I like making an impact on kids. I like seeing the kids, it's the switch. ... It's not as much about football as it is about the people.

"I want to be here (at Arizona State). ... At the end of the day, I always tell people there's a certain amount of money to make you comfortable, I'm way at the number. ... So at this point, I'm very happy and I plan on being here. "(TS- 21:oo onwards)

After a fairytale 2024 campaign, the expectations are high for Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils. It will be interesting to see if they can defend their Big 12 title and once again secure a spot in the playoff.