Last year, Michigan’s secondary was led by former defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan. This season, head coach Kyle Whittingham has elected to split up the duties between cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford and safeties coach Tyler Stockton.
Gilford has had plenty of experience in defensive coordinator Jay Hill’s system, working alongside him at BYU from 2023-25 while serving on the Cougars’ coaching staff since 2016. Gilford’s long-standing experience as a cornerbacks coach brings a wealth of knowledge
to the Wolverines’ coaching staff as it looks to help an experienced defense, especially a secondary with multiple high-impact seniors.
Here is a breakdown of Gilford’s career heading into his first season in Ann Arbor:
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Gilford, like many, eventually returned to his alma mater as a coach. His playing career with the Cougars ended in 2004 after he appeared in 37 games with 28 starts and recorded 10 interceptions, earning All-Mountain West first-team honors in 2001.
After spending a few years away from football, Gilford returned as a graduate assistant at Whittier College, where he worked with the cornerbacks and special teams in 2012 and 2013. He then moved to his first official position coaching duties at Southern Utah, where he coached the secondary in 2014 and 2015.
Alongside head coach Kalani Sitake, Gilford was hired at BYU in 2016, where the two remained for the next decade. Gilford also served as the defensive passing game coordinator this past season with the Cougars during a year when the defense allowed just 19.1 points per game (19th in the nation) and forced 24 turnovers and 17 interceptions (seventh in the nation).
The recent success and strong start to his coaching career indicate how Gilford has been able to develop players and build productive units.
Why Michigan hired him
The experience Gilford has working with the secondary is undeniable. He has coached defensive backs throughout his career, including extensive experience with cornerbacks, and played the game at a high level for BYU.
Gilford also spent three seasons working alongside Hill at BYU from 2023-25. That familiarity with Hill’s defensive system, as well as Gilford’s extensive experience coaching defensive backs and developing players, gives Michigan an experienced coach to lead the cornerbacks.
Recruiting, development and coaching philosophy
Some of the most impressive development Gilford has overseen came during his time at Southern Utah, likely contributing to his move to BYU just two years later. In his two seasons at Southern Utah, Gilford coached cornerback LeShaun Sims and safety Miles Killebrew, who both earned All-Big Sky honors in 2015 before being selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.
In his 10 seasons with the Cougars, Gilford helped seven players earn nine All-Conference honors, including four since 2023. Jakob Robinson and Kaleb Hayes are two of the most notable players Gilford helped develop there, with both receiving All-Conference recognition.
Most impressive is the amount of production by the unit as a whole. The secondary at BYU had 15 or more interceptions in six seasons during Gilford’s tenure, including every year from 2023-25.
Success checklist
Gilford has a good amount of tools surrounding him to be able to create one of the strongest cornerback units in the Big Ten. Here’s his success checklist:
- Jyaire Hill makes first-team All-Big Ten: In his junior season, Hill was an All-Big Ten honorable mention. The double moves are often what caught Hill up early in his career, but are something he’s becoming more accustomed to. Now with Gilford coming in with experience at the position, and with Hill able to pull from the likes of Will Johnson and other strong corners before him, Hill could reach his full potential if led down the right path.
- Zeke Berry also makes first-team All-Big Ten: Berry technically has come closer to achieving this feat before, earning second-team honors from the media last year. He tested the transfer portal waters before eventually returning to Ann Arbor and could have another breakout season as long as he remains healthy in his fifth year.
- Solidify a nickel role: Whittingham and Hill have talked about the revolving door of the nickel role throughout training camp and how not having a designated player at the position may be different from Michigan of years past. So long as the nickel role has a solid rotation and doesn’t fluctuate, Gilford and the rest of the staff working on the secondary should be able to find success.
