According to ESPN, BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill will take on the same position with the Wolverines and Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck will be the team’s offensive coordinator. Both Hill and Beck had been prominently mentioned as Whittingham’s top options since the former Utah coach was named replacement for the fired Sherrone Moore.
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Like Beck, Hill has ties to Utah, where Whittingham was the second-longest tenured coach in college football before resigning at the end of the season. Hill, who just finished his third season as BYU’s defensive coordinator, was an assistant for the Utes from 2001 to 2013. He coached both offensive and defensive positions for the Utes before becoming Weber State’s head coach from 2014 to 2022.
BYU’s defense has been one of the most reliable units in the country over the past two seasons. After a difficult first year in the Big 12, the Cougars have allowed fewer than 20 points per game in each of the last two seasons. Texas Tech was the only team to score more than 27 points against BYU for the entire season in 2025.
Beck was in Utah for just one season after arriving from New Mexico following the 2024 season. Whittingham turned to Beck and subsequently former UNM quarterback Devon Dampier after a tough offensive season in 2024 in which four quarterbacks saw significant playing time.
The Utes averaged 6.6 yards per play and scored more than 41 points per game in 2025. Only four teams averaged more points per game. Dampier, who threw for more than 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 in 2024 at Utah, had nearly 2,500 passing yards in 2025 while rushing for 835 yards. True freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin also appeared in 12 games and rushed 61 times for 513 yards and 10 TDs.
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Utah had three players (Ficklin, Dampier and RB NaQuari Rogers) with at least 10 rushing touchdowns last season.
Beck’s offense should fit well with Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood. Underwood, a former five-star recruit and Michigan native, was the Wolverines’ starter in his true freshman season. He showed promise as a dual-threat quarterback, but games against top-tier opponents in 2025 showed he has a ways to go to develop as a passer.