New Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham will have to hit the ground running, with one of his first tasks being to fill out his coaching staff. He has famously been a great defensive coach throughout his career,
but who he hires to help on that side of the ball will be extremely important, especially if they wind up calling plays.
With a couple names already buzzing around, here are three guys who would make sense as the next defensive coordinator for the Wolverines.
1. Jay Hill, Defensive Coordinator, BYU
Hiring a defensive coordinator from a former rival? It wouldn’t be as stunning as you’d think. That’s because Hill played on both sides of the Holy War the last two decades. After playing cornerback for the Utes in the ‘90s, he worked his way from a graduate assistant to a special teams coordinator at Utah before becoming the head coach at Weber State.
Hill was the head coach of the Wildcats for nine seasons where he won the Big Sky Conference four times and reached the FCS Semifinals in 2019. After a 10-3 year in 2023, Hill became the defensive coordinator at BYU. The Cougars’ defense ranked 99th in college football allowing 29.8 points per game before he took over, and the upgrade was instantaneous. With the No. 14 strength of schedule, BYU became a Top-20 defense by allowing 19.6 points per contest.
What may be the most appealing about Hill is that he very well could be the head coach in waiting. Whittingham is 66 years old, while Hill is 50. Hill was linked to the Utah State opening last offseason, and BYU head coach Kalani Sitake addressed the rumors:
“The reports of Jay possibly being the head coach have been around since he first showed up here day one,” Sitake said. “He’s very capable of being an amazing head coach anywhere that would want him… I’m going to do everything in my power to keep him here, because I love having him around. He’s a great advisor to me and a great coach. He’s part of the family.”
It’s unclear if this is how the. Hill very likely wants to return to the head coaching ranks again, and a similar structure in a few seasons with Whittingham’s five-year deal would make a lot of sense.
2. Gary Andersen, Analyst, BYU
A name familiar to the Big Ten, Andersen was the head coach at Wisconsin in 2013 and 2014. The Badgers had really strong defenses in his tenure, including the No. 6 defense in the country in 2013.
Andersen had multiple stints with Utah and Kyle Whittingham. From 2005-08, Andersen was the defensive coordinator for the Utes where he helped the defense grow from No. 50 to No. 5 in the country statistically. He later returned to Salt Lake City in 2018 as the defensive line coach and assistant head coach (Utah was 17th in the country in yards allowed per game).
If Whittingham can’t lock in Hill, Andersen could make a lot of sense as the next option. Their relationship runs deep, as this Salt Lake Tribune article from 2012 highlighted their beginnings together at Idaho State.
“It’s deeper than football with us,” Andersen said. “It’s not hard to separate business and friendship. We both know right now that the other has a job to do. But we have trust, and that’s the biggest thing. Kyle is a loyal guy and a loyal person, and I value that tremendously.”
3. Lewis Powell, Defensive Ends Coach, Utah
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley was named Utah’s next head coach after Whittingham left the program. He had contractual language saying he was the head coach in waiting, so he will very likely not be an option for the Wolverines.
Instead, we’ll shift our focus to another long tenured defensive coach, Lewis Powell. This was his 11th season as an assistant at Utah after playing defensive line for the Utes from 2001-03. Since 2015, eight Utes who have been coached by Powell have been taken in the NFL Draft, and two were consensus All-Americans. In 2025, Powell coached two All Big 12 defensive ends, first-team selection John Henry Daley (11.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss) and second-team selection Logan Fano.
Powell has never been a defensive coordinator before, but he could be in line to take that next step if other options don’t work out. He’s known for a strong effort on the recruiting trail, and Whittingham has continuously praised his work ethic for years. At just 45 years old at the start of the 2026 season, having a trusted and young presence as a defensive coordinator could be a boon for Whittingham and his staff.
