Two years ago, on Nov. 27, 2022, Kenny Dillingham was introduced as the new Arizona State head football coach. It was a job not many wanted. The cloud of an NCAA investigation was still hovering and penalties had not been doled out yet.

Arizona State got embarrassed against rival Arizona last season. In Kenny Dillingham's first season as head coach, the Sun Devils lost to the Wildcats 59-23 at

The turnaround for the Arizona State football team hasn't just generated buzz throughout the Big 12 or on the West Coast. The job Kenny Dillingham has done in Tempe has resonated nationwide, with the Sun Devils registering wins over nationally ranked foes in back-to-back weeks that have put them in the College Football Playoff picture.

The Sun Devils, who defeated BYU to keep their storybook journey alive, have mirrored their coach. Fun. Passionate. And a little reckless.

Perhaps no one better understands the significance of Arizona State’s win over BYU Saturday than Kenny Dillingham. A Phoenix native, ASU grad and the current head coach of the Sun Devils, Dillingham has seen plenty of highs and lows over his 34 years observing the program.

Kenny Dillingham has Arizona State on the rise. The Sun Devils now control their destiny for a spot in the conference title game in Dillingham's second season.

Dillingham told reporters on day one that becoming the head coach for the Sun Devils was his dream job. While lots has changed in the program, his dream hasn't.