Former MSU Assistant Chad Wilt Getting New Job at SEC School
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Another former staffer from the Jonathan Smith era has found a new job.
Former Michigan State co-special teams coordinator and rush ends coach Chad Wilt is getting hired by Kentucky to be the Wildcats' new linebackers coach, according to a report by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. MSU has not had a direct replacement for Wilt at rush ends coach, but the Spartans are hiring LeVar Woods, previously at Iowa, to be the team's new special teams coordinator.
Kentucky is another program that is forming a new staff after firing its old head coach, Mark Stoops. The Wildcats replaced Stoops with Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein. Jay Bateman, UK's new defensive coordinator, worked with Wilt at both Ball State and Army in the past.
Wilt is not the first departing Michigan State staffer who has found a new position. Fellow co-special teams coordinator Keith Bhonapha, who was also the running backs coach, is now at Cal. Secondary coach Blue Adams is also heading to Florida State.
Wilt's Resume
Special teams were certainly not a strength for MSU during Wilt's watch. The Spartans' special teams efficiency was ranked 66th nationally on ESPN's Football Power Index this past year, and that was even though the team had Ryan Eckley, perhaps the best punter in college football and a likely NFL draft pick this coming spring.
Michigan State's pass rush also never got far off the ground. The Spartans only had 19 sacks all season in 2024, which included a six-game drought, and they only improved to 22 sacks this past season. MSU's third-down defense ranked 95th in the FBS this past season, and the lack of pressure from the pass rush on those critical downs is a reason for that. Opposing quarterbacks too often had plenty of time to go through progressions and find an open receiver when Michigan State had a chance to get off the field.
Wilt was previously the defensive coordinator at Indiana during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, pre-Curt Cignetti. He also coached linebackers during his time in Bloomington, despite the fact that nearly all of his previous experience was with coaching defensive linemen. The Hoosiers' defense ranked 118th and 85th during Wilt's two years there.
The experience for Wilt coaching the defensive line is quite extensive. He coached DL at Minnesota during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, when current MSU defensive coordinator Joe Rossi was there. Wilt has also coached defensive line in some capacity at Liberty (2006-08), Virginia (2009), Richmond (2010), Ball State (2011-13), Maryland (2014-15), Army (2016-18), and Cincinnati (2019).
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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