The Arizona State football team was sitting in a meeting watching tape, and something popped on the screen. No one can remember the play, but they remember the phrase that followed from head coach Kenny Dillingham: Hot diggity damn.
His players all had the same reaction: What????
They all had a laugh at the expense of their head coach who is the first to tell anyone he has “no swag.”
But it would come up again and again in meetings. When Dillingham would get excited, it would serve as his unique way to say job well done.
The public got its first taste of “hot diggity damn” in a video posted after the Sun Devils beat Utah last week.
And while some players may roll their eyes when they hear the team or feel like their head coach is trying to make “fetch” happen in his own way, they appreciate that their head coach will always be his total self with his players.
“Him being loose like that allows us to play harder for him because we can joke and laugh with him,” Safety Xavion Alford said. “When it’s time to flip the switch, turn it on, it’s time to go.”
If the first half of the season has been any indication, you can make for (hot diggity) damn sure the Sun Devils will continue to play hard for their Dillingham.
Jordan Hamm
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