ASU's Dillingham Calls Out 'Useless' LSU Rumors After Kelly Firing, 'Nothing is Real'

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham has been one of the names to regularly come up when the coaching vacancies at LSU, Penn State and Florida are discussed.

He's not paying it much mind.

"I find it nothing, to be honest," he told reporters when asked if the rumors and speculation are flattering or simply a distraction. "It's useless. ... What's real is what's in our building, so I am so singularly focused on what's in our building. Nothing is real out there. It's all what gets clicks, what sells, what creates the best reality show in college football in the market you're in. So you better not get lost in the show, and you better be who you are and be grounded."

Dillingham has revitalized Arizona State, leading the program to a Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff berth last season. This year, the Sun Devils are a more disappointing 5-3, but Dillingham has turned things around at Arizona State in the wake of the disastrous Herm Edwards era.

His ties to the school also run deep, as Doug Haller of The Athletic noted. He's a former ASU student and his first coaching opportunity came with the Sun Devils. His extended family lives in Scottsdale. His contract runs through 2029 (and given the buzz from this coaching cycle, another raise could be coming).

But other opportunities will be made available. For now, he's focused on the Sun Devils, but he'll have some interesting decisions to make come the offseason.