With each passing day, it appears more and more likely that three-year BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill will join new Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham’s staff in the same capacity in Ann Arbor.
Obviously, that probable departure would come as a huge blow to what BYU coach Kalani Sitake has built in Provo, as Hill has revived a below-average defense the past two years and gotten the Cougars into the top 25 in many defensive categories in 2025.
He’s been a huge asset to the program overall as associate head coach and Sitake’s most trusted advisor, as BYU has gone 23-4 overall and won back-to-back bowl games against Power Four opponents. Also, he’s known as a fantastic recruiter, and was responsible for getting some of the Cougars’ best defenders in blue in recent years, most notably safety Faletau Satuala and former Utah defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa.
Asked by the Deseret News after BYU’s 25-21 win over Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl last Saturday afternoon if he could confirm reports that Hill was joining his former boss Whittingham at Michigan, Sitake seemed resigned to the probability.
“I think Jay is going to make his own statements on what he is going to do. I am just acknowledging that Kyle is at Michigan and people have some decisions to make,” Sitake said. “Guys have decisions to make whether they’re going to go to the NFL or come back (such as running back LJ Martin).
“It is not me. I am here to stay. Everyone else can speak for themself. The program is in a really good spot, because of a lot of people — players, coaches and the people that have gotten (us) to where we are at right now. It would be awesome for me as the head coach and an honor for me to continue (to keep) this thing going.”
Whittingham told the Deseret News after his introductory press conference Sunday in Orlando that it is “to be determined” whether he will reach out to Utah and BYU coaches to fill his staff at the Big Ten school.
“I am working through that, but I have a plan,” Whittingham said. “… It should come to fruition in the next week or so.”
As far as BYU is concerned, Whittingham might not just pursue Hill, who joined the Utah coaching staff under Urban Meyer and Whittingham from 2001 to 2013 before becoming the head coach at Weber State in 2014. Whitt could also be interested in BYU cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator Jernaro Gilford, or BYU linebackers coach Justin Ena.
Dominoes could continue to fall at both Utah and BYU, involving coordinators and position coaches on both sides of the ball, and on special teams. For instance, there are rumors that if Whittingham brings first-year Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him from Salt Lake City, new Utes coach Morgan Scalley will pursue BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick.
Sitake said last Saturday he is bracing for, and prepared for, a lot of different scenarios.
Whittingham “has a network he goes to for putting together staff, and that is how football works,” Sitake said. “I feel really good about what we have going here, and with the players and the coaches (at BYU). We will go with what we have.
“I feel good about this staff, how we established the foundation,” Sitake continued. “Jay is a big part of what we were able to do defensively for the last three years, and A-Rod’s been doing that for a number of years too. We feel really good about where we are at overall as a team, and it is those guys that made it happen for us.”
Here are some possible candidates to be BYU’s next defensive coordinator
- Shaun Nua, USC defensive line coach: A former BYU standout who spent time in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills, Nua has been USC’s defensive line coach since 2024; he served as USC’s defensive coordinator on an interim basis in 2023 after Alex Grinch was fired. Shortly after news broke that Hill was being targeted by Michigan, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported that Nua was a possibility to replace Hill because of his strong ties to Sitake.
- Jernaro Gilford, BYU cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator: Don’t be surprised if Gilford, a former BYU cornerback, follows Hill to Ann Arbor. That departure, too, would be a big blow to Sitake’s staff. But if he doesn’t, he has to be given some consideration for the defensive coordinator position, as he is as familiar with the current BYU defense as anyone on Sitake’s staff.
- Kelly Poppinga, BYU special teams coordinator and edge rushers coach: If Sitake decides to look within the program, Poppinga is also a good choice. The former BYU linebacker was Bronco Mendenhall’s co-defensive coordinator at Virginia from 2018-21 and is in his second stint coaching at BYU.
- Lance Anderson, Utah Tech head coach: A former Stanford defensive coordinator who was a fringe candidate to replace Mendenhall at BYU in 2015 because he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a stellar reputation for building strong defenses with the Cardinal, Anderson has been in St. George for two seasons and struggled to build a winner there. The Trailblazers went 2-10 this past season.
- Kalani Sitake, BYU head coach: This might come as a shocker to some, but there are some people within the program who believe Sitake might run the defense in some capacity himself in 2026, if a suitable Hill replacement can’t be immediately found. Remember, he was a highly successful defensive coordinator under Whittingham at Utah, and did take over the defensive play-calling in 2022 as Ilaisa Tuiaki’s seven-year tenure was coming to a close.
This wouldn’t be a long-term solution, as Sitake has duties within the BYU athletics administration as well, but the 10-year coach could get creative to ensure that what he and Hill built doesn’t diminish in 2026.
Why would Jay Hill leave BYU for Michigan?
Sitake and athletic director Brian Santiago spoke at length when Sitake was given a long-term contract extension and hefty pay raise on Dec. 2 that the deal included significantly more resources for the program and pay raises for his assistants.
Ironically, had Sitake bolted for Penn State nearly a month ago, Hill could have been his replacement in Provo.
Now, BYU almost certainly can’t compete financially with the likes of Michigan for Hill’s services. According to the Detroit Free Press, Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale made $2.5 million in 2025 and was scheduled to make $2.7 million in 2026 in the final year of a three-year deal.
Another factor that could draw Hill to Ann Arbor is the opportunity to be in line for the head job when the 66-year-old Whittingham steps down. Whittingham signed a five-year contract for a reported $8.2 million per year and said Sunday that he still has “a lot left in the tank” and plans to fulfill the entire contract.
Hill was asked by the Deseret News on Dec. 11 if he would ever want to be a head coach again.
“Sure,” he said. “I mean, that always is intriguing. But you just never know. You got to be where your feet are. … I love where I’m at, and it would have to be something that everyone said, ‘OK, I get that. And it would have to be a great situation for family and everybody.”
