Kyle Whittingham was in shock when he learned about Jay Hill’s heart attack this weekend.
Utah’s head coach and the BYU defensive coordinator are close friends and former colleagues. The pair worked together on the Utes staff from 2005-13.
“Well, it was shocking,” Whittingham said, calling Hill a “close friend.” “Jay is a guy that’s always been in great shape and keeps himself fit. He’s only 49 years old, which is a sobering thought that it could happen to anybody.”
Despite having the heart procedure, Hill was in the booth of LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday talking on the headset during BYU’s blowout win over Southern Illinois, while BYU head coach Kalani Sitake called the defensive plays. Whittingham said he is confident that Hill will bounce back in a positive way.
“I don’t want to get too personal or speak more than my share about it,” Whittingham said. “He’s a guy that I know will bounce back and, and I guess someone said he was at the game. That tells you how competitive he is right there. He doesn’t want to be away from it.”