BYU DC Jay Hill Reportedly a 'Name of Interest' in Same Job at Michigan

BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill at Fall Camp | BYU Photo

The coaching dominoes are falling in the college football coaching world and the ripple effects are being felt at BYU. BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill is "expected to be among the names of interest for the Michigan DC job" according to a report from Matt Zenitz.

BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill is expected to be among the names of interest for the Michigan DC job, sources tell @RJ_cfb and me.

Hill, who has a longstanding relationship with Kyle Whittingham, has led the way as BYU is ranked 21st nationally in scoring defense. pic.twitter.com/oJeg9GNHak

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 26, 2025

Michigan is set to hire former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham on Friday, according to multiple reports. Whittingham could bring coaches from both BYU and Utah with him to Ann Arbor. Reports have indicated that Whittingham will bring Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck to Michigan and he is targeting Jay Hill as well.

It's important to note that Hill is "among the names of interest" according to Zenitz, while Beck is "expected to be the target for Kyle Whittingham's OC job." It's not a foregone conclusion that Hill will follow Whittingham to Michigan.

Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck is expected to be the target for Kyle Whittingham’s OC job at Michigan, sources tell @CBSSports.

Led by Beck, Utah ranks fifth nationally in scoring with an average of 41.1 points per game. pic.twitter.com/vSBZF7ynnv

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 26, 2025

This is familiar territory for BYU: a big brand in the Big Ten is coming for one of its top coaches. A few weeks ago, Kalani Sitake turned down a lucrative offer from Penn State to remain at BYU. Just a few weeks later, the Cougars are pushing to retain another top coach in the football program.

Jay Hill has been BYU' defensive coordinator since the 2023 season. Hill took over one of the worst defenses in the FBS when he was hired, and he built BYU into a top 25 defense in 2025. One of the most notable improvements at BYU has been on the recruiting trail.

If Hill leaves to Michigan, the next dominoes at BYU could be in the form of roster retention. In this era of college football, there is a portion of players that sign with specific coordinators knowing that if they leave, they could follow them. BYU would not be immune to that.

While BYU would be searching for a new defensive coordinator, they would also be pushing to keep as many players in Provo as possible. Fortunately for BYU fans, Kalani Sitake is a major reason why a lot of the players are at BYU as well. Retaining Sitake would give BYU a chance to retain a lot of its top players.

If Hill were to leave BYU, and it's still an "if" at this point, his backfill could be in the building already. The Cougars have former coordinators on the staff in Justin Ena, Chad Kauha'aha'a, and Gary Andersen. Then there is Jernardo Gilford who has been promoted to BYU's defensive passing game coordinator.

The last time BYU lost a coordinator to another school was Jeff Grimes. BYU quickly promoted Aaron Roderick to fill his vacated position. The Cougars could be in position to do something similar on the defensive side if Hill opts to go to Michigan.