You know what they say — all good things must come to an end.
After three seasons transforming BYU’s defense into one of the nation’s top units, Cougars defensive coordinator Jay Hill has been hired to fill the same position at Michigan, joining forces with longtime Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham.
Hill’s tenure in Provo saw great success, as BYU went 23-4 over the past two years and allowed a Big 12-best 19.4 points allowed per game in that span.
With the Jay Hill era at BYU now in the rearview mirror, Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake has publicly expressed his gratitude for Hill’s time on his staff.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Jay Hill for all he’s done for BYU football over the last three years. He’s a great coach and I wish him the best in his new endeavor,” Sitake said in a Friday statement posted to social media.
“Our football program is in a great place as we look to build on the success of the past two seasons with all the talent we have returning in 2026. I’m excited about the collaborative efforts of our defensive coaches over the past few years and the momentum we have been building as a staff.”
Prior to the past three years at BYU, Sitake and Hill spent nine seasons together at Utah on Whittingham’s staff, most notably helping the Utes go 13-0 and win the Sugar Bowl in 2008.
While Hill did an excellent job with the Cougars, Sitake expressed optimism regarding the future of his program as he searches for a new defensive coordinator and looks to retain other key coaches and staffers at BYU.
“We have a lot of quality coaches in our program and I’m proud of their efforts,” Sitake said. “We’ll make the necessary staff adjustments soon, as we continue to find ways to help our players improve and elevate the success of BYU football.”
