Less than 24 hours before Arizona State was set to kick off against Texas in the College Football Playoff, good news for fans of the Sun Devils broke.
According to multiple reports last night, Kenny Dillingham - who has led a remarkable turnaround from 3-9 in his first season to 11-2 Big 12 champions with a first round College Football Playoff bye in the span of a year - and Arizona State have agreed to a new five-year contract.
Pete Thamel was the first to share the news, adding that it comes with an increased commitment to the staff as well.
The reports share that the new deal will put him among the highest paid coaches in the Big 12, among coaches that currently include Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy (who recently agreed to a reworked deal), Kansas' Lance Leipold, and Utah's Kyle Whittingham.
Dillingham's original deal to lead the Sun Devils had him among the lowest paid coaches in the Big 12 ($3.95 million annually), ahead of only Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield ($3.6 million) and Arizona's Brent Brennan ($3.1 million).
Thamel's report adds that the new contract will offer a pathway through incentives related to performance for the deal to extend to 10-years for Dillingham.
The Sun Devils recently locked up offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo and defensive coordinator Brian Ward with new deals three-year deals back in November, ensuring the three remain together for the next few years at least.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.