TEMPE — It may be the offseason, but head coach Kenny Dillingham and the Arizona State football team are staying active by learning.
Last week, the ASU coaching staff met up with Jonathan Gannon and the Arizona Cardinals during their organized team activities, offering the Sun Devils a chance to see a practice from an NFL perspective.
“I’m going there to learn. Right?” Dillingham said. “So that’s the value. So let’s go there and try to learn something that we could take back, which we did learn a few things. I’m not going to share it because they’re giving us behind-the-scenes access, so I don’t want to leak any of their stuff.”
Arizona State finished last season 11-3 after winning the Big 12 and was seeded fourth in the College Football Playoff before losing to Texas in the Peach Bowl.
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Dillingham, who is entering his third season with the team, stressed the importance of not settling, especially after last season’s success.
“It was fun,” Dillingham said. “I like giving the opportunity for the younger (coaches) or even some of the veterans to go out if they want to steal something from a position drill. For me, I’m trying to steal some organizational stuff. Do they do a really cool special teams drill? Do they do a cool team drill? They do a unique way of practice tempos. That’s cool. So for me, it’s what can I learn?”
“I grew up a Cardinals fan. My family won tailgater of the year twice,” the ASU coach added. “So I grew up tailgating. The Cardinals are something near and dear to me. So going out there and Coach [Gannon] being able to open the doors for us and me being able to learn, why wouldn’t I take that opportunity to get better?”
Dillingham praised Gannon’s work with the Cardinals, citing the NFL head coach’s meticulous planning and belief in his team.
Both coaches are entering their third season with their respective teams.
“I think he’s awesome,” Dillingham said of Gannon. “Just getting around him, he’s super intelligent, he’s super deliberate, but I don’t think he’s overbearing. I think he lets his coaches coach. He gives his advice when he feels like it’s needed and he’s convicted on things. And I think anytime you’re convicted of what you do or what you believe in and your plan, I think that’s how you become successful.
“And I think from the first time I met him until now, his plan has stayed the same — to win. And I think when you have a plan, it’s really hard to stay the course and he has done that. So I’m fired up to watch him and his team play this year just because I have nothing but the utmost respect for him.”
Cardinals fan Kenny Dillingham knows how to throw a tailgate
Dillingham grew up in the Valley and with a rabid group of Cardinals fans.
His family won “tailgater of the year” twice. But what makes a tailgate great?
It goes back to a similar mindset he’s brought with him to the sidelines as coach.
“A lot of energy,” Dillingham said. “We had Chef Jeff out there at a time who would be grilling out green chili burritos. We had literal ice sculptures at one point during one of the playoff runs out there. I would just say the commitment to being great.”
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