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Host 1
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Coach Dillingham
IBM.
Host 1
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of the Busting with the Boys Spring tour. We are with Coach Dilling.
Host 2
Ham, do you want to talk about what just happened out there? You guys have seen the first few interviews. I assume that's how we're going to drop them.
Host 1
Yeah, but drop this one.
Host 2
Last battle of the boys spring game champions.
Host 1
That one hurts too. That one hurts. I'll tell you, I've. I've never won an ASU stadium. I've never won in Sun Devil Stadium ever. I have a state championship dummy. 38, 0 Buffalo Wild Wings bowl dummy, like 44, 13 against Kansas State. But this one hurts the most. A state championship and a bowl game. And this one hurts the most. Go back to Arizona, where I'm from Shaft Town. Coach Dillingham goes to Shaft Town. Charlie Regal is my head coach. And it's like I legit thought you guys were gonna really make it so I could win.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, we're about character.
Host 2
I needed to win. The other day, I lost this quarterback challenge and like, you can just tell Taylor and I, low key are super competitive against each other.
Host 1
I feel bad about that quarterback challenge. I do have that.
Host 2
Yeah, you do have that. And low key when we put the headsets on everything, I was just telling the boys, like, hey, we gotta win this fucking game. You guys understand that, right?
Host 1
I've been catching too many W's, dude. I feel like an L was in My future. I had to take one.
Host 2
Yeah. What was it at the end? Team 15. And they're. I'm kneeling at the coordinator. I'm like, no, we're not taking a knee. We're running the ball. He's like, my boss. You. He's like, my boss said, we're taking a knee. And so I run out to the middle of the field. I'm like, hey, we want to score. And he's like, go ahead, go score. Like, what do you want to do? And the guy was like, in the knee formation or victory formation? I'm like, score. Just run a play and score. And he's like, hey, I'll throw you a fade. No, that's how that happened.
Host 1
I know, because as soon as we. I knew you guys were gonna knee, and I literally thought to myself, will's gonna go try to run this thing up because it was in the red. I know.
Host 2
I was like, no, wait a minute. We're not taking a knee. We gotta run this thing up.
Coach Dillingham
He caught it, too, dude.
Host 2
He did catch it.
Coach Dillingham
That was good.
Host 2
I caught the ice bath.
Coach Dillingham
Oh, is that. I thought that was sweat.
Host 2
Oh, that was the start. The start of a coaching career. One and.
Host 1
Oh, yeah, dude, I would not be a good coach. I found that out today. Your coach is trying to take over for me. Like, you calling the place of like, yeah, let me get this play. And they call one, and then all of a sudden, they start calling the other place. I'm like, hey, hey, what's the play? Do this. And the coach wouldn't listen to me. He would just be like, just say, I probably called two plays.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, that was probably. They didn't win. I mean, to be honest, if they were to listen to you, I mean, I think you would.
Host 1
I like to sound. That's a good way for me to spin it.
Coach Dillingham
I would agree.
Host 1
Good way for me to spin it. But, hey, we're. We're in Tempe. You're home. You grew up here. You've been in so many prestigious programs. We were talking about this a little bit before we came on camera. Is historically rich traditions at Florida State, Oregon, Auburn, and you come here and let's call a spade a spade. It's not. And so how do you compete with those other colleges that have all that history and traditional to say, hey, come here?
Coach Dillingham
Well, I think you just look at it, and tradition is just something that happened in the past, has no effect in the future. Right. But what happens is social media nowadays drives where kids believe they can go to School. So I believe I can only go to a school that ESPN tells me is of an elite status and they choose those schools when in reality, if 25 of the best players just chose to come here three years in a row, our roster would be top five in the country. It's very, very simple. So people need to stop living in this bubble that only certain places can win and come to a place that it's 70 degrees in April, 60 degrees in June. Right. They bring the super bowl here, they bring the Waste Management Open, they bring tons of concerts, retired athletes move here. Right. Why would you not live here in a place that's the fifth largest market in the country? We have a player who has his own podcast. Right. Why would you not choose to come here? Right. Just because we may not have the tradition in 1996. Right. That's so short minded. We're trying to teach people, right? We can be the tradition, come here and be the tradition 20 years from now.
Host 2
How do you sell them on that? When you walk around and obviously your facilities, like we talk about tradition, everything else, but even facility wise and walking around, you can just tell that money isn't poured into this place.
Coach Dillingham
No question. And you know, the places I've been, this is some spots I have. This is actually, actually probably the middle of the road facilities of the places I've been at. Shockingly enough, it's not Oregon. Right. And no place is Oregon.
Host 1
They go anybody's Oregon. Yeah.
Host 2
Nebraska.
Coach Dillingham
The, the support here from the, from the community and from the city is there. We have the ability financially to compete because we have the fifth largest metropolitan area in the country. We just got to get everybody back involved in college sports.
Host 1
Yeah.
Host 2
How do you do that?
Host 1
Yeah, yeah. Well, by winning games. Right.
Coach Dillingham
And stuff we did today, you guys.
Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
Host 2
What got you on that? I feel like that was like, you know, I want to say innovative, but also I don't want to say innovative because it was us. Like, what puts you on the trail to do something like that? Because we were promoting like, hey, where do you guys want us to go? And then all of a sudden you just without a shadow, like without any questioning, like, hey, we want you guys to come here and like coach a spring game. We want to build it around you guys. Because I feel like the majority of head coaches wouldn't, wouldn't do something like that.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah. One, I don't need to be the star of the show. I actually would rather be in the background. Right. So it's great for me. 2. Right. What other Schools did you guys go to?
Host 1
We went to lsu, we went to South Carolina, Ohio State, Texas. What was the other one really?
Host 2
Colorado. But we really didn't go to Colorado.
Host 1
Go to Boulder.
Coach Dillingham
And then where?
Host 1
And then here.
Coach Dillingham
All five of those have something in common, right? Tradition.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
Except for Arizona State. So we have to be creative and innovative to get our brand out, to change the narrative here. You guys were the creativity and the innovation and your guys is following in just who you guys are as people to create a culture here that we can change it and get those players necessary to be one of these teams that I want to build this program into.
Host 1
When you're looking at this, this town being it's a pro football town, how do you get people to transition from pro football into college football?
Coach Dillingham
I don't think you'll transition people. I think you got to. I think there's enough room for both.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
I think not everybody's going to be able to go to a Cardinals game on a Sunday. Right. But I do think there's enough people that if you can't go to a Cardinals game on a Sunday, you can come to an ASU game on a Saturday.
Commercial Announcer
Right.
Coach Dillingham
I think there's enough people in this city that we can have both. And people forget ASU was here first 30 years ago, the Jake Plummer era. There was actually these play. All the games sold out seven years ago. All the games sold out. Right. This town just likes winners because there's so many options. Whichever team's winning is what they choose. Right. So we've got to put a product on the field that produces winning. And if we do that, the fans will come, the recruits will see it and then the tradition happens and the rest is history. I mean, what was Clemson 20 years ago?
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
Clemson hadn't won a 10 win game in 20 season. All of a sudden the culture changed. Coach Sweeney did a phenomenal job. Now they're a blue blood.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
Why can't that happen here?
Host 1
That's true.
Host 2
No, that's fair.
Host 1
As far as for coaching, like finding your process here, your senior year at Chaparral, you get hurt, you're dealing with that. You're trying to think. Regal was talking about you were going to come here, become a lawyer like your dad and kind of keep moving forward. What made you pivot into becoming a football coach?
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, Coach Ragel grabbed me and said, hey, you should just try this out, start coaching. And I started coaching and I just love the impact you could make on people. I love people. I love being around people. I'm a people person. Right. All these X's and the no's, people think they matter and they do. You have to know what you're doing. But what wins is can you get people to come together and can you motivate people to do more than they normally would? That's what wins. All the other stuff Sounds fun, right? Yeah. We're going to run power versus weak rotation, whatever that is. That's. Everybody could do that. I could teach my wife. Right. What good play calls are. Right. I wanted to coach because I love seeing that it clicked for a player. I loved it when a player may be off the field or on the field, the classroom, he couldn't get something or he didn't know how to be successful. And then it clicked. And once it clicks, it clicks and you know, you know how to manage it. Whether that's your life and your work life, balance. And all of a sudden they're like, hey, you got to find balance here. You're not balanced yet. You're not going to be successful. Then all of a sudden it clicks. Like, I love. I'm addicted to that click.
Host 1
Yeah. When you have a guy like Charlie Regal, who got you into coaching football, now you employed him, essentially. You snagged him from Idaho State. You're like, hey, come down to ASU when he was a head coach, like, what is that relationship like now when at one point he was your superior and now it's flipped.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah. I mean, it's just the guy I lean on to ask questions to. Like, is this stupid?
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
Like, we have a dance off in the middle of a scrimmage. Our scrimmage. Three, we paused for a dance off, and I'm like, is this stupid? Like, I want to do it right, but is it stupid? Like, should we be doing this? We bring a basketball hoop out to the third practice and then another practice, we have a shootout. I'm like, is this bad? Like, so I just bounce ideas off of him. Like, I wanted to run one on ones in the middle of a practice. Like 1v1 basketball.
Host 2
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
He's like, kenny, they're in cleats. They're not used to the movements in cleats. That would be stupid. So, yeah, shootout. So he's kind of the person that tones me down because I'm the guy that wants to go 100 miles per hour all the time and everything.
Host 1
It's pretty terrifying. That guy. Like Charlie Regal has to be the one to say, hey, don't go so fast. When we were sitting here, he was saying earlier he's their fifth gear. He was in park so that's.
Host 2
You can tell he's a speed. He's the speech guy, isn't he?
Coach Dillingham
Oh, he is incredible.
Host 1
Speeches are all time, brother. I was trying to tell you.
Host 2
I know.
Coach Dillingham
Remember the one about the dog?
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
And I threw the ball and the dog kept running. And then I threw it again and the dog kept running. The dog never came back because he wanted that ball.
Host 1
You want to run through a wall when he does that? Dude, are you. When you're. When you're looking at this program and you guys are expecting. You guys are predicted to win four games this year. How do you think going into this season with the development you've seen from spring ball, how do you see this season going for you guys?
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, I mean I think our players. I haven't even talked about that because I think our guys are invested. Like I think our guys. You heard Jalen say it earlier what his expectations are, right? Not even close to the same because I don't think people understand or how much our team grew together. People look at 45 new kids, 45 old kids that are all probably selfish is what people think. Right.
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Commercial Announcer
Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line. But first, There, the last one. Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.
Coach Dillingham
I just came here to get theirs. That's why you transfer to get yours. And what they fail to see is the community, like you guys were mentioning off air that our kids are together. Like our kids. It's different. Like there is a. They're building a culture here for each other. And I think that's the secret sauce to winning in college. Look at Kansas State, right? Look at Utah, right? Look at the teams that win, right? It's the culture that wins.
Host 2
Yeah. And you can tell too, like when the kids were on here talking, doing their interview, they also alluded to you being excited, like this was your dream job. Can you talk about, like, why ASU is your dream job? And if you, you know, if you're, if you're saying that and not planning on going anywhere else, speak a little bit on that.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah. So obviously I'm born and raised here. I grew up going to games. You know, my, my family moved out here, my parents, when they were, you know, 50 years ago. My wife's born and raised here. We were neighbors in high school. So I grew up rooting for Arizona State. And then I coached high school ball here. Right. Then I coached college ball here. And then I moved around the country. But this is always home, so home is home. Like there's nothing like being home. Like, you talk about ultra motivation. Like I used to clean up dog crap at Chaparral Park. That was my job when I coached. I drive by Chaparral park on my way to work. So when you talk about all those things that add Up. And then with my families here, I believe this place can win championships. I believe the city, what it's growing to, what it can become. All we have to do is teach kids it's okay to come here. That's it. Because if you showed up here, you're gonna be like, dang, I want to live there. That's not a debate. You just got to teach people it's okay to come here. That's it. It's okay. Don't listen to the media. Come here. Live the life you want to live. Live the life retired professional athletes live in. Chandler. Right. And let's go do something special.
Host 1
You say like you kind of juice? Yeah. The phrase you use too is like, tell them it's okay to come here. Why do you think ASU has that same stigma of being like, hey, if you're, if you're a five star guy, unless you're like, grew up an ASU fan, don't come here.
Coach Dillingham
I think the media chooses what's okay and where's okay for people to go to. I think when you watch tv, when you look at Twitter, they tell you, they tell these five and four stars, you can only go to blank. You're too good for blank. Right. That program's not good enough in history for you. Why, like, why, like, that doesn't make any sense to me. But it's the narrative that these kids hear all the time is, you're too good for this. You're too good for this. Right. When in reality, they should be finding where they want to live. Right. And what people they trust, that's it. And if you get 25 elite players living where they want to live with coaches they trust, that's an elite team. Just like that. It's a very, very simple process, but you've got to come. You got to break the narrative.
Host 2
Yeah.
Host 1
When you're, as a head coach, being such a young head coach, what do you attribute your success to at such a young age? Because there's a lot of coaches out there that are in their 50s, 60s, that have never sniffed a head coaching job. How did you get to this point at such an early age in your life?
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, I would say I have a bad. I'm a. I'm very bad at not being honest. So everybody thinks, oh, young energy, players coach. Right. That's what the players think. Players coach. Right. But I'm also the dude that tells you what you don't want to hear. Like, I have no problem saying, you can't play here.
Host 1
Yeah. You know, I Make it.
Coach Dillingham
You're not, like, you're not going to play for us. I have no problem saying that was lazy as crap.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
Like, that doesn't bother me. That's just how I was raised. So I think the combination of my youth and understanding that kids haven't changed. Right. People say kids have changed, kids have changed. It's like the narrative, right? All these new kids are different. No, they haven't. Right. Adults have lowered the bar because they think kids can't hit the old standard. So they just lower the bar, Lower the bar, Lower the bar, Lower the bar. And then you hit the bar. No, you can hit the bar. That's always been set. Just do it in different ways. Kids like social media now. Don't hide from it.
Host 1
Right.
Coach Dillingham
We have people saying, oh, social media is the devil. Hide from it. No, embrace it. Show them all their tweets of people calling them the worst player on the planet. So they get used to it. Don't tell them, don't look at it, because they're gonna like, you have to embrace the new age that we are in. Right. And then find a way to hit the same high bar in a new era. And I feel like I've been able to find a balance. And then I genuinely care about people. Like, I have relationships, I have group chats with all my former quarterbacks. I think they can feel that. I think so all those three things combined.
Host 1
Have you. Go ahead. Sorry.
Host 2
I was just gonna say where do you feel like you've. You've picked up on those things over time and over your career? Like what philosophies or what things have you read? What things have helped kind of cultivate that mindset about it?
Coach Dillingham
I think one, I mean, Coach Ragel, I mean, he's a guy who cared about his players. I mean, he would do anything for his players, but he coached them hard. Right. He was passionate. Like, he brought it every single day. So getting to see under him at a young age, we had another guy from a football standpoint, Conrad Hamilton.
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Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers, growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member finra SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not invented investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures running a.
Odoo Sponsor
Business is hard enough, so why make it harder? With a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other. One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. Before you know it, you are drowning in software. Instead of growing your business, this is where Odoo comes in. Odoo is the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all in one, fully integrated platform that handles everything CRM, accounting, inventory, E commerce, HR and more. No more app overload, no more juggling logins, just one seamless system that makes work easier. And the best part? Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. It's built to grow with your business whether you are just starting out or already scaling up. Plus, it's easy to use, customizable and designed to streamline every process so you can focus on what really matters and running your business. Thousands of businesses have made the switch, so why not you try Odoo for free@odoo.com that's o d o o.com okay.
Commercial Announcer
Only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line, but. There the last one. Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.
Coach Dillingham
Ryder was an unbelievable defensive coach, right?
Host 1
Also coach of Chaparral.
Coach Dillingham
Yep, also a coach of Chaparral. Yeah, we had a squad, dude. Yeah, we'll get on that later. But we had we had a squad, right? It was probably the goat squad of all time in the history of high school football. But that's just my personal opinion. But I combine that with guys like Mike Norvell and I think I've learned more what to do, but I've learned more what I wouldn't do along the way. Like, hey, I love this, but I don't like this. And I've just kind of marked off all the things I wouldn't want to do as a head coach because at the end of the day, people know fake. That's one thing I firmly believe. People know fake people know. Real people know. If a head coach walked in, if I walked in and gave a speech like Charlie Ragel and said, we're going to chase the dog, I'd be laughing out the roof. I'm 59. I'm unathletic. Like, I'm the goofball. I got no chance to give that speech. If I give that speech, I'm a fraud. I have to play into me I as a head coach, the culture is going to be what I am. Because if you're not, people feed off of it and they know you're full of crap. Yeah.
Host 1
Phenomenal energy. Phenomenal energy. When you're talking about kids looking at Twitter and you're like, go ahead and look at the negative comments. Have you ever showed players, have you ever gone into a team meeting room and been like, hey, they're saying this about you?
Coach Dillingham
Not yet, but we have showed what they retweet and like, yeah, so I do just from like, hey, I just scroll. And this is what you like. So if somebody is trying to draft you or hire you for a job and they look at your Twitter, this is you, bud. Just know that.
Host 1
Dark, right?
Host 2
So that's hilarious.
Coach Dillingham
Exactly. So I do some or.
Host 2
Or all the positive ego feeling that they get tweeted at and they like or retweeting stuff. It's like, hey, you know, the whole quote, live for the cheers, die by the booze. It's like, you know, the moment people say bad stuff about you, you're gonna. We know you're gonna be looking and feeding into that because you get so hyped to like and retweet and engage with everybody who you want to see. Oh, look what so and so said about me.
Coach Dillingham
Correct. I mean, there was a year in years past, just as an example, I pulled up my name for my team and scrolled at all the hate so they could see. Look, this is what people say about me calling reverse on the minus 10. That was a TFL fumble. Probably not a great call, right? Look, people hate me, but horrible call. We were the number two offense in the country, right? So they loved me, loved me, loved me. Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. And the whole goal is, like, you should love the process to get better. And the best players I've ever been around loved, like, the football. Like, they found a way, even if they didn't love ball, they found a way to fall in love with being there. Even if football wasn't their passion, they found a way to compete one on one and talk crap enough that they found a way to compete. So it's. Can you block all that out? Look at it. Because you're going to look at it. You can't hide from it anymore. So let's embrace it. But then keep the main thing. The main thing. Laugh at it. Like, yeah, you're probably right. You should have caught that ball. I agree with him. Yeah, you should have. You know, but you don't. Don't take it as a negative. Take it as a laugh, like joke about it.
Host 1
When you're going through recruiting process of Arizona, how do you get guys, how. What's your selling point on ASU over something like U of A or anywhere else in the PAC 12?
Coach Dillingham
Well, I think for us specific one, we don't recruit versus U of A. Yeah, that's just. That's a no brainer. Come here. That's a no brainer to come here.
Host 2
Oh, like they just ain't.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, that's a no brainer to come here. You should come here.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
That's not a debate.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
And. And I'm just gonna hate that. We gotta clip that for Mark and I'm gonna be here.
Host 2
Yeah. There's.
Coach Dillingham
I mean, you're. You're choosing U of A or ASU with a guy who's passionate about actually being here forever.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
It's not a debate because, you know you're gonna be Jed Fish, who's a really good football coach.
Host 1
He's a really good football.
Coach Dillingham
Really good football coach.
Host 1
If you guys got in a fight, who do you think would win?
Coach Dillingham
Oh, I would win.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
Oh, yeah. I would win. Yeah. I'm 32 and I am fiery.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
I will bite ankles.
Host 1
You did just say you're unathletic and goofy.
Coach Dillingham
I'm unathletic, but I'm fiery. And you can hit me over and over again. I'm probably. I'm gonna go all day.
Host 2
You're gonna be like that dog?
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, I'm gonna be like the dog.
Host 1
Yes.
Host 2
You're gonna have to kill the dog.
Coach Dillingham
You're gonna have to kill me.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
I don't like to lose.
Host 2
Anybody in the PAC12 that you think could whoop your ass.
Coach Dillingham
We go through this. I mean, I don't know. I mean, I would. I mean, to be honest, you would think Dion, I mean, he's a professional athlete. That's me being real.
Host 2
Lost his toes.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah.
Host 2
So you don't know how that kind.
Coach Dillingham
Of hinder I don't know, but I would just think. I mean, I think he just benched like 225, 20 times or something. I don't know.
Host 1
You really do that?
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, it was pretty impressive.
Host 2
What, bench?
Host 1
Yeah, yeah. I mean, he's always been talking to him about that.
Host 2
He's always been a bench press cat. Sometimes he'd do videos right after he gets done hitting the bench press. Really drop some wisdom on you. Drop some philosophy on you.
Host 1
That's awesome. So no one's beating you except for Dion?
Odoo Sponsor
Maybe.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah. Maybe. I don't. I don't know. I'd have to. Kyle Whittingham is the way his team plays. I don't know any of these guys yet, but the way his team plays, I wouldn't want to get in a steel cage with him. You're usually a reflection of your coach, how physical and tough you are as a football team. So the way his team plays, I wouldn't want to get in a ring with him. His guys play hard.
Host 1
Has the NFL ever been something that you've thought about?
Coach Dillingham
Not really. I like the I like making impact on kids.
Public Investing Sponsor
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures running a.
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Commercial Announcer
Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line. But first. There, the last one. Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.
Coach Dillingham
Like seeing kids like the switch.
Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
Coach Dillingham
It's not as much about the football as it is about the people.
Host 2
Do you think you would ever dabble in the NFL? No. You say, not really. It's like, what if you have great success at Arizona State, which, let's just say five within five years, you put a couple years together and then the NFL starts to poke their head in on like, hey, let's get you up to the, the big leagues.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, I want to be here and.
Host 2
Throwing a bag at you.
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, I want to be here. I mean, at the end of the day, I always tell people, like, there's a certain amount of money to make you comfortable. Right. I am way in that number. Then there's a certain amount of money that's just, what are you gonna do with it? Right? I mean, here I'm way beyond comfortable. So at this point, like, I am very, very happy and I plan on being here. Like, I want to build this. Right. I want to build this for the long haul. That's why we're not cutting corners. So I, I mean, especially culturally, like, we're not, we're not cutting corners culturally. Building this the right way.
Host 2
You know what fires me up? And you can ask your question, but I was just gonna chime in and say what fires me up is that I believe all the stuff he's saying.
Host 1
Yeah.
Host 2
And we were get. We were a part of year one.
Host 1
Yeah, that is a good point.
Host 2
Spring game, five years though, you will.
Host 1
Get a call from us.
Coach Dillingham
This will be on repeat.
Host 1
Yeah, absolutely.
Host 2
Come here in the fall for a game like a tailgate or something like that.
Host 1
Yeah, that'd be cool.
Coach Dillingham
That would be fun.
Host 1
Anytime we can come to Arizona.
Coach Dillingham
Well, you guys will be on the Raiders, so you'll just be able to drive right down, Right?
Host 1
Yeah.
Host 2
There.
Host 1
We do have rules. Well, we have to play together this year.
Host 2
We are. Deal.
Host 1
When you start winning here and the money starts coming into ASU to really beef up this facility, where's the first place you're attacking?
Coach Dillingham
Yeah, I mean, I want to get an indoor right behind. We have a bubble over on the other side. I want to get an indoor in the fields moved over here, which is already part of our plans, but obviously that's where you put it. We're going to take out some of the parking behind.
Host 1
Yeah, behind this.
Coach Dillingham
And we'll put an indoor right here. Taking out that building and then two fields back there.
Host 2
So that way everything's kind of.
Coach Dillingham
Yep. Everything's right here.
Host 1
That's awesome.
Coach Dillingham
So that. That's. That's step one. But my first step in terms of fundraising and money is fundraising for our players in nil.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
Everything I do right now is for our players. They said they wanted better food, gotten better food. They said they wanted better snacks. Got them better snacks. Right? You guys ate the food today. It's pretty good, right? They said they need nil that haven't had it. I fundraised almost every night for nil. Like, every decision we make is players. And if you keep that, the main thing that players win, that means everything you should spend money on should affect the. Who the players. So I asked them, what do they want? Like, what do you guys want? You want this? You want this? You want this because that's who you're trying to get to play at their best of their ability. And that's how you get buy inside.
Host 1
Yeah. With. With Nil. How do you attack that? Because you're pretty. You're basically always playing free agency now. How do you. There's a free agency is about to start right now. And I.
Coach Dillingham
Today. Yeah.
Host 2
Portal opens up. Yeah. Yeah.
Host 1
How do you go about attacking that?
Coach Dillingham
Yeah. One for us. I tell people, if you don't want to be here, leave. Because I firmly believe culture wins. So it's. You want to be here, leave. That's fine. I really don't care. Like, go. I don't care if our three best players into the portal. I wouldn't want it. And I don't believe that's going to happen because we've built a good culture here. But I wouldn't beg them to Stay. Because that's how you build a bad culture. Right. And on top of that, I tell everybody my job is to bring in somebody to beat you out.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
Because that's the best for the team. So it may hurt your feelings if I bring in four players and they beat out four starters. But guess what? There's another 85 guys who are on a better team. So don't be selfish. When I make this team better.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
And I challenge them. I just tell them that there are no guarantees on this team. Every transfer we took, right. They weren't promised anything. Zero transfers were promised to start. We're promising. I owe money. We're promised anything. It was coming here. Compete, win. Same thing with everybody on our team. It is win and earn your keep.
Host 2
I feel like we've basically hit all the big.
Host 1
I do want to hit one more. You use the phrase activate the Valley. What does that mean?
Coach Dillingham
It just means get everybody involved. Like show up at the spring game, buy season tickets, show up. Because the one thing that we're gonna that we know you don't have that six national titles. Yeah, right. You don't have the three national titles that you have to be able to show recruits as people care. You have to be able to go to a game in the fall and see a sold out crowd and see an environment that you want to play in because that has a huge effect on prospects. So if we want to be where we want to get to, if we want to get to where we want to get as a program which is recruit the best players to come here so we can be the best team to come here. They need to show up and see a sold out crowd with butts in seats. They need to see people active on social media. People think it's stupid. No, it's not. Our recruits love being retweeted by our fans. It shows love. We need everybody in the Valley to be activated. In the fifth largest valley with one school. All these other large and all these other large cities don't just have one school in a one hour radius. They all have two schools. We're the only one with one. If everybody can get behind us and get activated financially with what you can.
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Get support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures running a.
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Commercial Announcer
Only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line. But first. There the last one. Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.
Coach Dillingham
And then put your butt in the seat. Show up right? People are going to realize we care. And if people realize we care here, we're going to be pretty dang good.
Host 2
Seems like the right man, the right man for the job here.
Host 1
I feel like ASU is in good hands folks. Coach, we appreciate you coming on today.
Host 2
Now, now if you, if you drop, if you don't even win four games, we might have to come back and ask about that. But, but so far, like I'm, I'm sold.
Host 1
That's fair who's your first game?
Commercial Announcer
Our.
Coach Dillingham
Our first game is at home. We have four home games, so our first Pac 12 game is USC here, week four. So four. That'll be a tough week for USC at home. We play Oklahoma State week two and then Fresno State week three. So we've got a. We've got a few. A few good games here at home to start. So I'm hoping it's 105, all four of those games. And then what? Do we kick off at noon?
Host 1
Hell yes. Absolutely.
Host 2
Yo, this has been awesome, man. Thank you.
Host 1
We appreciate you. We're rooting for you, man. We really hope everything.
Coach Dillingham
You guys coming out, you know, let's. I mean, maybe you'll have to defend your trophy next year.
Host 1
Maybe I would sign up for that right now. I need that trophy.
Host 2
Make that happen.
Host 1
If you get a little. I'm not gonna touch that. But we need a little Will Compton right there on the side.
Host 2
Oh, like, puts on the side.
Host 1
Yeah.
Coach Dillingham
We almost got you a second place trophy. That was just like a car.
Host 2
That would be so funny. Bus to go on a keychain or something. Yeah. This is awesome, man. This awesome.
Host 1
I feel like there should be a punishment for me for losing.
Host 2
We were bummed because somebody goes. Because on the pod, we were like, we'll figure out what the bet is. They're like, so what? So what? What does a loser would the loser have to do or give or anything like that? I was like, man, we. We didn't get around to doing it. Like, whatever is it.
Host 1
Don't say that, bro. Don't say that.
Coach Dillingham
I think you're home. I've got a great one. I think the loser should have to donate his watch to ASU Nil. I think that would be phenomenal.
Host 1
We could figure out some. I. I'll tell you what. Next year, not the watch.
Host 2
You had a good day in Vegas.
Host 1
Yeah. Yeah. But that's my money. I'm gonna have to keep that, Keep that, that train alive. But yes, we will be back. And I think there should be some sort of nil bet next year between you and me. Loser has to pay a certain amount.
Host 2
Yeah. As long as we. As long as it aligns with whatever happens this year, like what just happened.
Host 1
Okay. How much do you want me to pay this year?
Host 2
I don't know.
Host 1
Next year say a number. But no, next year it's got to be the same thing because I'll pay.
Host 2
Whatever you think about it, you don't.
Host 1
Want to say a number right now.
Host 2
Because, you know, money gets Me?
Coach Dillingham
Yeah.
Host 2
Money gets me queasy.
Coach Dillingham
You rolled in the Escalade today.
Host 1
Yeah, earned that. He earned that.
Host 2
Reason. There was a reason that I would escalate.
Host 1
Hey, you're soft now. You don't got that grit anymore, bro.
Commercial Announcer
No.
Coach Dillingham
We had video of me in the.
Host 1
RAV4 with that seat all the way back.
Host 2
The big case. The big case. There's a RAV4 and then the Escalade. I'm thinking the big case carrying case for all this equipment would go in the Escalade. Mitch was the one in charge of it. Mitch is on Team Compton. The whole thought process was we're going to be riding in separate cars. Like, now's the time, now's the morning. We shouldn't be hanging out anymore. We need to separate. So I was like, like, let's separate. Team Compton. Team Luan. And then I look at this big case and I'm like, yeah, we should get the Escalade. There's like, oh, I see what you're doing.
Host 1
I buckled him in his seat and everything. Dude, I was hot. I was hot. But yeah, Coach, we appreciate you. If you want us to come back for a spring game, we'll absolutely do that.
Coach Dillingham
Awesome.
Host 1
Absolutely.
Coach Dillingham
Sounds great.
Host 2
Oh, man.
Coach Dillingham
Appreciate it. Thank you.
Host 2
We had a lot of fun.
Coach Dillingham
A lot of fun.
Host 2
Subscribe. Big hugs, tiny kisses and rate five stars.
Host 1
And tell it. Tell your friends too, please, God, we need this.
Coach Dillingham
Oh, that was fun. Appreciate it.
Host 1
Now streaming. It's the new limited series. Little disasters.
Coach Dillingham
Happy families, Perfect marriage.
Commercial Announcer
What happened?
Coach Dillingham
Social services have been called in.
Commercial Announcer
I've known you for 10 years. How could you make that call?
Coach Dillingham
These rich families could. Ceiling thing seems to come naturally.
Host 1
Starring Diane Kruger.
Coach Dillingham
You can't take our children and Joe Joyner.
Commercial Announcer
Parents can do some terrible things in moments of frustration.
Host 1
Little disasters.
Coach Dillingham
All episodes now streaming on Paramount.
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Plus support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis. Not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures@CVS it matters.
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Date: December 20, 2025
Hosts: Will Compton & Taylor Lewan
Guest: Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State Head Football Coach
This episode of “Bussin’ With The Boys” features Arizona State football head coach Kenny Dillingham as part of the show’s Spring Tour. The discussion digs into college football culture, tradition, innovation in recruiting, building a winning program at a school without a storied history, and what “activating the Valley” means for Arizona State. Dillingham’s authenticity, candor, and belief in ASU’s potential shine through as he challenges conventional wisdom on tradition and talks about building from the ground up.
On Tradition and Recruiting:
"Tradition is just something that happened in the past, has no effect in the future." – Coach Dillingham [04:26]
On Changing the Narrative:
"We have to be creative and innovative to get our brand out, to change the narrative here." – Coach Dillingham [07:07]
On Competing with Pros:
"This town just likes winners because there’s so many options. Whichever team’s winning is what they choose." – Coach Dillingham [07:53]
On Culture Over Talent:
"It’s the culture that wins." – Coach Dillingham [14:32]
On Media Narrative:
"The media chooses what’s okay and where’s okay for people to go to..." – Coach Dillingham [16:41]
On Social Media Criticism:
"Laugh at it. Like, yeah, you’re probably right, you should have caught that ball...Don’t take it as a negative. Take it as a laugh, like joke about it." – Coach Dillingham [24:16]
On Player-Driven Program:
"Every decision we make is players. And if you keep that, the main thing that players win, that means everything you should spend money on should affect the—who? The players." – Coach Dillingham [32:16]
On Building the Community:
"We need everybody in the Valley to be activated...If everybody can get behind us and get activated...we’re going to be pretty dang good." – Coach Dillingham [35:21–38:02]
For anyone interested in modern college football, coaching culture shifts, and building programs from scratch, this is a must-listen conversation.