ATLANTA -- Ahead of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Arizona State University President Michael Crow posed for selfies with fans excited for the biggest game in recent program history -- and secure in the knowledge that everything possible has been done to make sure this unprecedented success is sustainable.
"We have the intersection of savant coach and an unbelievable group of kids," Crow said of 34-year-old head man Kenny Dillingham and his Big 12 champion Sun Devils. "You bring those two things together, and things happen."
Crow has recently approved a reported five-year contract extension for Dillingham, the youngest full-time coach in big-time college football, who took the ASU job after the disastrous 2022 season.
The extension takes Dillingham from about $4 million to about $7.25 million per year. Dillingham's new salary hasn't been confirmed by university officials, but sources tell The Arizona Republic that it would put Dillingham among the three highest-paid coaches in the Big 12.
Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy is the highest-paid coach in the conference, at $7.8 million.
Dillingham's extension comes after his top assistant coaches, offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo and defensive coordinator Brian Ward, each received three-year extensions to remain with the program.
"We're looking to build a long-term, multidecadal program," Crow told The Arizona Republic, standing near the Arizona State end zone at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. "This is a part of all of that. We're trying to do the right thing, in the right way, blocking out the noise of everything that's going on at every other place.
"We're trying to build a culture, and culture is very hard to build."
Crow runs one of the largest universities in the nation, with about 73,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Building a winning football team has long been a priority, but high turnover and an ugly recruiting scandal have marred those efforts until now.
ASU has found unprecedented success this season under a homegrown athletic director, Graham Rossini, and football coach. (Rossini played baseball at ASU. Dillingham is an ASU alum who got his start coaching as a graduate assistant under Todd Graham.)
At 11-2, ASU is in the Peach Bowl for the first time since 1970, and this is the program's first appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Crow wants to make sure it's not a fluke.
"They're well aligned at building a long-term culture, a long-term program," Crow said. "That's what they're both focused on. They're both Sun Devils. They're both committed to Arizona State and metro Phoenix. They're committed to building this program here."
Crow is clear on why the sport is a priority.
"Football is this unbelievable drama of life and competition," Crow said. "Every size person. Every way that you can play. Strategy. Tactics. Determination. Drive.
"It's a very American sport, and it portrays many things that we've been involved in, in building the country. ... It's a perfect allegory for what life takes to move forward."
Reach Moore at [email protected] or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.