In the middle of June, every Sun Devil head coach casts a single vote for the Sun Devil Coach of the Year in honor of Frank Kush.
The award – presented around the anniversary of Coach Kush's passing (June 22, 2017) – is a way for each coach to recognize a peer that impressed them the most.
There are no true guidelines for this honor; coaches can nominate someone who earned any honors, a coach who made an impression in their first year, or simply the nicest coach in the building. Once the nominations are in, one Sun Devil coach earns what one can consider the ultimate show of respect: an award from their peers in the 26-sport, 22-head coach department.
This year's winner – and Arizona State graduate -- did all of this…
--led his team to the Big 12 title (after being picked for last)
--earned Big 12 Coach of the Year
--had his team go undefeated at home for the first time since 2004
--placed his team seventh in the final Associated Press rankings
--impressed everyone associated with the program with a complete rebuild after back-to-back 3-9 seasons (only one was his)
--had every head coach vote for him, the first time that has happened in the awards history.
Congratulations Kenny Dillingham!
Where leadership meets legacy 🤝
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) June 17, 2025
As voted by his fellow ASU coaches, @KennyDillingham has been named the 2024-25 Frank Kush Coach of the Year! #ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/zVOUyAQM1V
ANNUAL FRANK KUSH AWARD WINNERS
2024-25: Kenny Dillingham, football
2023-24: JJ Van Niel, volleyball
2022-23: Bob Bowman, swim and dive
2021-22: Matt Thurmond, men's golf
2020-21: Todd Clapper, water polo
2018-19: Greg Powers, hockey
2017-18: Trisha Ford, softball