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Big 12🛡️ Heavily Fortified (4/5)

Kenny Dillingham

Head Football Coach Arizona State (Sun Devils)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)
$24,683,333
51 months remaining (1567 days)
Annual Salary
$7,442,000
Base + Supplemental Talent
Contract Expires
2030-12-31
Hired: 2022-11-27
Coach Leaves Buyout
$12,500,000
Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival
Daily Amortization
$17,319
Buyout drops each day
University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $24,683,333

Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $24,683,333. (School Pay includes one-time $1,000,000 signing bonus connected to contract amendment signed in March 2025)

Payment Structure:Annual Installments
Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)
Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$31,927,759
Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $12,500,000

If Kenny Dillingham accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2030-12-31, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$12,500,000
School Retention Leverage:Very High (Deterrent)
Coaching Stance & Contractual Security

Job Stability vs. The Hot Seat

How Our Two-Axis Model Works
0/5 Votes

Pending Fan Consensus

Tension Rating: Stability (4/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

Contract Job Stability is rated Heavily Fortified. Awaiting 5 more community vote(s) to officially establish the Hot Seat alignment.

Contract Job Stability
Level 4 / 5
Heavily Fortified
Severe Buyout Deterrent$24,683,333 Buyout Firewall

Major financial hurdle; university athletic board faces multi-million dollar penalties before contemplating termination.

Contract Safeguard: Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $24,683,333. (School Pay includes one-time $1,000,000 signing bonus connected to contract amendment signed in March 2025)
Mitigation Duty: None (fully guaranteed sum)
The Hot Seat (Community Consensus)
Consensus Building
Consensus Building0 / 5 Votes

Hot Seat score requires at least 5 votes to show, only 0 votes cast so far.

5 more votes needed to unlock public heat score. Cast your vote below!

Interactive Amortization Simulator for Kenny Dillingham

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.

AR
Arizona StateBig 12 • Contract thru 2030-12-31
Annual Salary
$7,442,000
Current Buyout (Today)
$24,683,333
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (1567 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$24,683,333
Official USA Today Verified Buyout
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $17,319 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$12,500,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes Arizona State

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

No Mitigation Required (Full Guarantee)
Important: Kenny Dillingham's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, Arizona State is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!

Contract Calculation Formula:

USA Today FOIA benchmark: $24,683,333. Salary adjusted to match authoritative October 2025 baseline due to lack of direct textual evidence in proposed sources.

💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$3.16M.

Key Contractual Stipulations
  • Performance-based bonus structure
  • Staffing compensation adjustments
  • Multi-year extension provisions

Salary adjusted to match authoritative October 2025 baseline due to lack of direct textual evidence in proposed sources.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (1):

Arizona State Head Coach Contract TermsArizona State Athletics Official Records • 2026-09-13
View Source

FOIA Verified: As an arm of state government, Arizona State releases employment agreements and board-approved amendments under public records legislation.