Heading into Wednesday’s Peach Bowl as heavy underdogs, Arizona State wasn’t given much of a chance against Texas. But when a team that is picked to finish last in a conference ultimately wins said conference, there’s a culture of belief that starts with the head coach.
That remained true even in defeat. There’s always a lesson to teach.
ASU rallied from down 16 points to tie Texas and force double overtime in an electric Peach Bowl. But when Texas picked off Sam Leavitt to ice the game, it would have been easy for ASU players to head straight to the locker room at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
ASU coach Kenny Dillingham wasn’t going to let that happen.
Despite the loss, @ASUFootball's Kenny Dillingham made sure his players shook Texas' hands after the game 🤝 pic.twitter.com/7ZBbQ51Pxc
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 1, 2025
Speaking to reporters after the game, Dillingham was asked about the exchange he had with some of his players. He directed them back onto the field to shake hands with the Longhorns, explaining that you show respect to your opponent — win or lose. He would have wanted his players to do the same had the Sun Devils pulled off the win.
Dillingham, who turns 35 in April, had the college football world impressed, especially in how he handled defeat. That’s exactly how it should be done.
This was how Twitter/X reacted
You shake hands. That's what you do. https://t.co/pn3P0cBGct
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) January 1, 2025
Class. Using a game to teach lessons that will last a lifetime. So much respect for Coach Dillingham. https://t.co/YQJzAwHrIB
— Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) January 2, 2025
Man, I love this guy! https://t.co/6i6Z9aB3F9
— Anthony DeFalco (@addefalco) January 2, 2025
It hurts right now, but the future at Arizona State is still very bright with a coach like Kenny Dillingham https://t.co/KiaWqus4ma
— Devils In Detail (@Devils_Detail) January 1, 2025
More coaches need to learn how to teach and control this. Too many people arguing to take it away instead of encouraging their guys to show class in either side of that handshake line. https://t.co/xm4SJyZHti
— Alan Estep (@Coach_E74) January 2, 2025
Refreshing to see this leadership https://t.co/jXIOroXtf6
— Mike Alessandro (@StartOf5) January 2, 2025
Class act 👏 https://t.co/vddEFLcFdH
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) January 2, 2025
The more I know about this coach, the more I respect him. https://t.co/7NnOnB1sGl
— 🏎 Chris Blair 🏁 (@ChrisBlair4B) January 2, 2025
Love this guys coaching and I don't even know him. https://t.co/8OLbFdfbJD
— Adam Housley (@adamhousley) January 2, 2025
