Arizona State: Deion Sanders, Kenny Dillingham ‘better hire’ debate has clear answ…
Arizona State · ColoradoThe Arizona State Sun Devils and Colorado Buffaloes hired their head coaches about a week apart in late 2022, and the two programs have been measured against each other ever since. With the teams set to meet in Tempe on Saturday, a post from PHNX Sun Devils brought the old argument back this week.
"Do you remember when people were saying Coach Prime was a better hire than Kenny Dillingham? Those people are really quiet these days," PHNX wrote on X.
Ten months later, Colorado was a national TV attraction and Arizona State was sitting on a 1-4 start. Dillingham is 26-21 at Arizona State after going 3-9, 11-3, 8-5 and 4-4 so far this year.
Sanders is 19-26 at Colorado after going 4-8, 9-4, 3-9 and 3-5. Since both programs joined the Big 12 in 2024, Dillingham is 15-8 in league games and Sanders is 9-14.
KEY POINTS
- Deion Sanders, Kenny Dillingham ‘better hire’ debate has clear answer before Saturday’s game.
- In December 2022, Fox Sports' Bryan Fischer gave Colorado's hire of Deion Sanders an A grade and Arizona State's hire of Dillingham a B, flagging Dillingham's inexperience as a 32-year-old first-time head coach who had called plays for one season.
- Arizona State went 11-3 and won its first conference title since 2007 on the way to the College Football Playoff, while Colorado's best year under Sanders ended at 9-4.
- Sanders still has the bigger contract, with a five-year deal worth a reported $54 million against the five-year extension paying Dillingham $7.5 million a year.