Kenny Dillingham excited about Arizona State coaching staff additions Arroyo, Reynolds

The coaching profession is one where networking and past relationships come in handy, maybe more than your actual knowledge of the game. Whatever job you land likely has to do with who you worked with in the past.

That's what led Marcus Arroyo to Arizona State, where he will step in as offensive coordinator. He succeeds Beau Baldwin, who filled that role last season in the inaugural year of the Kenny Dillingham era.

Arroyo, who turns 44 next week, becomes the fifth offensive coordinator in the last seven years. Baldwin's fate seemed to be sealed early as Dillingham took over playing-calling duties himself after an abysmal offensive showing in the third game of the season against Fresno State.

Dillingham met with the media on Friday, as did the two new coaching appointments on his staff and select players who are new to the program. The other addition to the staff is Diron Reynolds who succeeds Vince Amey as defensive line coach, although Amey will remain on the staff in a support role.

Arroyo, a quarterback in his playing days at San Jose State, served as head coach at UNLV from 2020 to 2022 but did not coach last year after being fired after a 7-23 overall record. But the team did improve from no wins to two to five in his three years and part of the roster he recruited and developed was there for the nine-win season this past season.

Arroyo made calls about openings and Dillingham did his diligence too, getting feedback from his peers as to who might be a good fit.

"When the conversation started back up about the future I decided to make sure the decision was based on the people, place and obviously the ability to be successful," Arroyo said. "When we talked we kind of hit it off in regards to how we saw things, how we treat people first, how he was going to run things. I know enough people in this business I can make a couple calls and usually we can get a feel for each other so we really hit it off. Then we started talking about the football, and that was really the easy part."

Dillingham had much the same sentiment in regard to the natural flow of the conversation and how the two related. Arroyo's experience at the NFL level also was a factor.

"Coach Arroyo has been a play caller in the NFL and I wanted someone with some NFL experience. He’s a quarterback guy. I like having coordinators that have been head coaches so he’s been a head coach," Dillingham said. "You just call some people that you respect in the profession and they all give you the same person. You're like, wow, this person is four hours away. He has family that is from here. So there are a lot of things that went into it but  I wanted quarterback-driven guy."

The Sun Devils are coming off a second straight 3-9 showing, this one derailed by a myriad of injuries particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Right now the workouts are limited to strength and conditioning with some meetings,

A quarterback competition will again be the focus when spring drills commence in March. Jaden Rashada is back after missing the balance of last season with a knee injury. The old reliable veteran Trenton Bourguet is back, too. Then there's newcomer Sam Leavitt, a transfer from Michigan State.

"Really right now we're not working with them on the field so it's more about getting to know them as people," Arroyo said.

Dillingham said he didn't have the personnel to be able to play the style of offense he preferred last season. What exactly is that?

"What I would like to be is a run, play-action football team that plays fast with pro-style rules," he said. "That’s what you want to be. That’s what I want to be. That’s what I think the most productive offenses in college football are. You have to have the personnel to get there. Coach Arroyo believes in the same exact thing."

Reynolds, 52, is the other new addition and the only one on the defensive side of the ball. He came to ASU from Michigan State but also knows the Pac-12 well, having served in the same capacity at Stanford from 2016 to 2022. He too has experience at the NFL level, having been on staff for the Dolphins, Colts and more recently the Vikings.

Asked about that appointment , Dillingham was equally effusive with his praise

"The hardest to sign is really really elite D linemen. It's always been a challenge. So, you may have to go to the portal to get some more D-linemen,” Dillingham said. “What do those guys want? Those guys, they're over the BS of recruiting, the salesmanship, they want the facts. The fact is professionals go to this dude in the offseason to get better in the National Football League. Why would you not come here and train with him for free? And he's an unbelievable football coach and he's a great person. And his son goes to school out here. So he wants to be here. So it was like check, check, check. Home run."

Dillingham appears content with his returning staff. He signed defensive coordinator Brian Ward to a contract extension midway through the season, something that is quite unusual for a first year coach with a new staff. Wide receivers coach Ra'Shaad Samples and defensive backs coach Bryan Carrington were given extensions after the season. Both are regarded as successful recruiters and have been instrumental in being in talent from the state of Texas.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kenny Dillingham excited about Arizona State coaching staff additions