Michigan football hiring Jay Hill as defensive coordinator

The Michigan Wolverines have found their defensive coordinator under head coach Kyle Whittingham, officially landing BYU’s Jay Hill, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Hill’s hiring puts both coordinators in place for Whittingham with Michigan after Whittingham confirmed the hiring of former Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck on Thursday morning in an appearance on ESPN’s College Gameday.

The Cougars were 28th in total defense this season with 328.4 yards per game allowed, and 21st in scoring defense with 19.0 points per contest heading into their 25-21 win over Georgia Tech in the Pop Tarts Bowl.

Hill got his start in coaching at Utah under Whittingham – after he played for him in 1998-99 – as a graduate assistant in 2001 and working up the ranks in a variety of roles. During his time there, he coached cornerbacks, tight ends and running backs in addition to coordinating the special teams through the 2013 season. In 2014, he left to take the head coaching job at Weber State, where he won four Big Sky Championships and amassed a 68-39 record in 9 seasons on the job.

BYU hired Hill as its defensive coordinator and associate head coach in 2023 under head coach Kalani Sitake, with his units ranking 94th, 21st and 22nd in SP+ defensive efficiency. The Cougars went 11-2 last season and 12-2 this year after a win over Georgia Tech in the Pop Tarts Bowl on Dec. 27.

Whittingham’s first staff at Michigan now features Beck and Hill, along with the retention of running backs coach Tony Alford. Former Utah staffers Micah Simon (WRs), Freddie Whittingham (TEs) and Koy Detmer Jr. (analyst/QBs) were also reported as joining the program on Thursday.

Michigan concluded its 2025 season on Wednesday with a 41-27 loss to Texas in the Citrus Bowl, ending a 9-4 campaign. The transfer portal opens on Friday and runs through Jan. 16, and now Michigan has its key lieutenants in place for the build.