If the Utah State head coaching job comes open in the next few weeks, BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill’s name will certainly be brought up to fill the position.
And the Cougars’ head coach is more than fine with that.
“The reports of Jay possibly being the head coach have been around since he first showed up here day one,” Hill’s boss, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said. “He’s very capable of being an amazing head coach anywhere that would want him.”
Hill was a head coach at Weber State for over a decade before he became BYU’s defensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 season. He wanted to step up from the FCS to the Power Four.
But even if Hill’s name is in the running in Logan, Sitake isn’t going to let Hill walk easily. He wants him to stay in Provo long-term. It is only his second full season at BYU — and the Cougars’ defense has dramatically improved since 2022.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to keep him here, because I love having him around,” Sitake said. “He’s a great advisor to me and a great coach. He’s part of the family.”
With his team guaranteed at least a nine-win regular season, Sitake believes this issue will come up more often with other programs trying to poach his staff.
“It makes sense why we have a lot of candidates to be head coaches on our staff,” Sitake said. “We’re doing something right. While we keep that going, I hope we can have candidates for head coaching jobs that are mentioned every year. This year, no different, especially with Hill.”
