It is time for ASU president Michael Crow to fully invest in Kenny Dillingham, football program

Rare are the men who build empires. Jerry Colangelo did it. Michael Crow is getting close. But first, the ASU president must become an icon to the masses. He must deliver a riveting football program to the Valley.

And now a moment has arrived. Maybe even the moment.

In the blink of an eye, Arizona State’s football team has shocked college football by becoming bowl eligible in Kenny Dillingham’s second year on the job and … gasp … a team that might actually win the Big 12 in its inaugural season.

Nobody believed this was possible. Many assumed ASU was in for a brutal initiation, a rebuilding project with too many outbound players, a team heading into a strange new conference with questionable financial support.

The Sun Devils have come out blasting. Dillingham has produced an ultra-competitive team that is confident, connected, paying attention and great in the clutch. They won in Manhattan, Kansas. They defied a lengthy weather delay at Oklahoma State, where the home team gets access to state-of-the-art amenities while the road team is stuck inside a locker room.

In Cam Skattebo, they have one of the most likeable stars in the sport, with burgers and burritos named in his honor. In Sam Leavitt, they have a potential franchise quarterback, at least in the context of college football. And Dillingham is clearly pressing all the right buttons.

He is authentic and relatable. He is a great communicator, wise beyond his years. He thinks clearly on his feet, on the sidelines, under duress. He vibes with kids and can speak to adults. His press conferences are legendary. He is always on point.

It’s a huge victory for Sun Devils football to command center stage this late in November. A showdown against Brigham Young on Saturday feels like the biggest home game since the Pac-12 championship loss to Stanford in 2013. And it’s all happening just 27 months after the program hit rock bottom, when Herm Edwards was fired with full payment. Crow would do similar things with former athletic director Ray Anderson, but only after mobile billboards rolled through Tempe and called for his firing.

Those acts of impunity and generosity threatened Crow’s credibility among football fans in the Valley, just like his misguided support of Larry Scott and the Pac-12 Network. But Anderson had the sense to hire Dillingham before pulling his golden parachute, and now Crow has another shot at glory.

He must pay Dillingham handsomely, sooner rather than later. With a number big enough to bolster and lengthen his loyalty to Arizona State. He must make sure all of Dillingham’s valued assistants are rewarded, as well. It’s time to fully invest in the program, and it starts with a coach who seems straight out of a fairy tale, capable of waking a sleeping giant, perfectly content with staying put. Just like Lute Olson in Tucson.

To be clear and to be fair, Crow has moved mountains in the Valley, from ASU’s expanded campus footprint to advancements in academic reputation, innovation and higher education. But a great football program is what has been missing for the past 25 years. And a great football program is what alumni and fans want the very most.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station

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