This former Florida State assistant is having fans wish that he would come back

This is awesome to see what he is building in this program.
FSU offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham at the FSU National Signing Day Party on Feb. 5, 2020.

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FSU offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham at the FSU National Signing Day Party on Feb. 5, 2020. Img 4495 | Wayne McGahee III/Democrat via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Florida State football has been on an absolute roller coaster ride as a program. The program was on the highest of highs when the Seminoles were rolling with former quarterback Jordan Travis in 2023.

We all know how that squad fared when its postseason fate was in the hands of the College Football Playoff committee. With that said, head football coach Mike Norvell was regarded as one of the best in all of the sport.

This statement has become a blur with the Seminole faithful after the program has combined to go 7-17 in the past two years. Losing to Stanford on the road seemed to be the final straw for many, but the administration decided to keep him around in 2026. Meanwhile, many in the fan base look around at the successes of other people around the country.

Former assistant coach Kenny Dillingham has it made coaching for Arizona State

As we later found out, there were individuals in the program who played a factor in the success of the Seminoles' success. One name that we could look at was former offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, who was hired at Arizona State as the head coach in November 2022. Dillingham didn't get to experience the special campaign that Florida State had in 2023.

He was a coach who was trending in the right direction to potentially field an opportunity like LSU before Lane Kiffin got the reins in Baton Rouge. Dillingham didn't have a great first season in Tempe with a 3-9 record in 2023, but he stuck with his process, and the Sun Devils made it to the College Football Playoff in 2024.

Florida State had Mike Norvell as the main play caller (as he will be in 2026), but Kenny Dillingham was a staple in developing former quarterback Jordan Travis and keeping him focused on the game of football.

Kenny Dillingham wanted to see the Sun Devils elevate to new heights by returning to the College Football Playoff. He made a rant about getting more money for facilities, and it happened.

Former Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher tried a similar tactic in Tallahassee, but he never got what he wanted and bolted for Texas A&M. It is great to see that they had an individual who was willing to invest in what Kenny Dillingham is building there. We at ChopChat are happy for the former Florida State football assistant coach and what he is building at Arizona State.

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