‘I was never leaving’: Dillingham confident ASU has the support, backing to keep competing

TEMPE — Kenny Dillingham put an end to speculation about his future at Arizona State on Saturday after his team’s win over West Virginia.

“I was never leaving. … I never said I was leaving,” Dillingham said postgame. “This is home. But, you do have to continue to push, and my job running a program is to push and push and push until you can’t push anymore.

“And if I didn’t do that, I’d be cheating my players, I’d be cheating my staff, I’d be cheating the fan base, I’d be cheating everybody in the city, I’d be cheating the local businesses that feed off of us winning and then they, you know, sell more beer, right? I’d be cheating everybody.”

His statement came after he was a reported candidate for several Power Four head coaching openings, including at Auburn, Florida, LSU and Penn State.

Dillingham has listed being close with family and having the resources to compete in the Big 12 year-in and year-out as some of the most important things to him.

Mixed messages from Dillingham and ASU athletic director Graham Rossini about resources behind the program in recent days suggested the resources may not be there to the coach’s liking.

Rossini on Thursday told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo there’d be “no limitations” to funding when trying to retain Sam Leavitt, and the only decision in front of the quarterback was whether to stay or declare for the draft.

Dillingham then said on Friday morning he did not share Rossini’s confidence when speaking to Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta, and that it’s Rossini’s job as AD to speak positively.

The coach then said postgame he did not have the same information Rossini did when the AD expressed his confidence.

“I go on the radio Friday morning, and I don’t have all the information, and so I mean Graham was right,” Dillingham said. “We met on Friday with our (administrative) people who represent (ASU President Michael Crow), and I have a lot of confidence that they’re all in.

“I have a lot of confidence that our administration is pushing the chips to the table on winning in football here. … They’re behind winning games and I can say with a lot of confidence that they’re going to support this place at a level that can win and compete in the Big 12.”

Answers to how long that will last and whether it will result in Leavitt staying will be found down the road.