Kenny Dillingham and Matt Drinkall are on opposite ends of an ongoing debate about college football and coaching. They take two very different approaches to their profession.
One coach spends most of his day at the facility. The other forces his staff to leave at a reasonable hour.
Some college football fans might prefer their head coach to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week— but obsession is no guarantee of competence. This upcoming season will provide a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Is it possible that both philosophies can coexist?
Kenny Dillingham reflects one extreme to coaching college football.
The 35-year-old took over as head coach at his alma mater, Arizona State, in 2023. The former offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon won three games during his first season at the helm. He led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff at 11-2 in year two.
Kenny Dillingham completely overhauled a program that was effectively dead in the water in wake of the Herm Edwards era and subsequent recruiting scandal. Arizona State did not win more than eight games from 2015-2024.
A program that was very recently considered irrelevant is now ranked inside of the preseason top-15 after a double overtime loss to Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Impressive.
This quick turnaround stems, in large part, from Dillingham’s energetic approach as head coach. He completely transformed the culture in Tempe. His foot is always on the gas.
Dillingham arrived to the stadium at 5:15 a.m. for the Sun Devils’ most recent practice, which did not end until after 8:30 p.m. The lights even went out during his press conference!
Kenny Dillingham got to the stadium today at 5:15 a.m.
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) August 3, 2025
ASU's practice ended just before 9:00 p.m. and the lights went out in the middle of Dillingham's presser.
Yet Kenny was still as energetic as ever, talking about players getting to live the dream in Tempe.
Built different. pic.twitter.com/hFbwRlBWZe
Whatever he is doing seems to be working.
Matt Drinkall reflects the other extreme to coaching.
On the other end of the spectrum is Matt Drinkall. The 42-year-old was named as the head coach at Central Michigan in December after a six-year stint with the offense at Army. He previously served as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan on the NAIA level. This new role is a big step up.
Unlike Dillingham, Drinkall does not spend every waking hour on the job. That rule also applies to his staff.
“I love football, but I am never going to let it consume my life,” he said. “I make everybody leave the office at 5:30 every day.”
Drinkall grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa as the youngest of 11 kids. His father worked the factory floor at Caterpillar. Family is important to him.
Thus, he decided to prioritize the work/life balance at Central Michigan. The happiest he has ever been in coaching was when one of his assistant’s daughters thanked him for having her father home every day.
The Chippewas won just 13 games in the last three years so they are not expected to win a national title in 2025. Still, it will be interesting to see whether this approach to coaching leads to success.
Kenny Dillingham won 11 games in year two by working extreme hours. Can Matt Drinkall yield similar results with the opposite approach?