NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Arizona State head football coach Kenny Dillingham says he’s not going to overthink what his opponent this week might do.
The Sun Devils (6-2, 3-2) square off against Central Florida (4-5, 2-4) at 5 p.m. Saturday at Mountain America Stadium and the head coach on the visitors sideline is one with whom Dillingham is quite familiar.
Guz Malzahn, 59, is in his fourth season heading the UCF program. The two were on the same coaching staff at Auburn in 2019, with Dillingham serving as Malzahn’s offensive coordinator. The Tigers finished the season 9-4 overall and 5-3 in SEC play. They were ranked No. 14 in the final Associated Press and USA Today polls, and 12th in the final CFP rankings, with eventual first-round draft pick Bo Nix at quarterback.
Dillingham said he has stayed in touch with his former boss, although it is tough now with football season in progress and the schools being separated by multiple time zones. He said they speak several times a year and also run into each other at different coaching events.
UCF head coach Guz Malzahn and ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham spent one year together at Auburn in 2019, but are members of a broader coaching family. They face each other on opposite sidelines Saturday in Tempe.
Malzahn is not surprised Dillingham has been able to change the trajectory of the ASU program in such a short time, from 3-9 in his first year, 2023, to bowl-eligible with four regular-season games remaining. The Sun Devils were picked last in the 16-team Big 12 Conference in the preseason poll, so they’ve already exceeded expectations.
“He has a dynamic personality and he’s an extremely hard worker,” Malzahn said of his protege, in a Monday news conference. “He’s a smart guy. When he was with me, he helped me out a whole lot. He knows football. He can relate to players.
“He’s got all the attributes to be…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/asu-football-coach-kenny-dillinghams-172423490.html
Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic
Publish date : 2024-11-08 17:24:23
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
