BREAKING: Kyle Whittingham STEALS Jay Hill From BYU, Michigan's Defensive Coordinator GUTS Big 12

The euphoria of the Pop-Tarts Bowl victory was short-lived in Provo, as news broke on December 28, 2025, that defensive coordinator Jay Hill is expected to leave the Cougars to join Kyle Whittingham’s new staff at Michigan. Following Whittingham’s official introduction as the Wolverines' head coach, Hill has emerged as the primary target to lead the defense in Ann Arbor, marking a massive loss for Kalani Sitake and the Big 12.

The Michigan Connection

The move reunites Hill with his mentor. Hill played for and coached under Whittingham at Utah for over a decade before his successful head coaching stint at Weber State. For Hill, the opportunity to call defenses at a blue-blood program like Michigan—alongside former colleagues like Jason Beck—represents the pinnacle of his professional trajectory. However, for BYU, the timing is brutal, coming just as the program secured its first 12-win season in decades.

A Transformative Legacy

In just two seasons, Hill revolutionized the Cougar defense. He inherited a unit ranked 109th nationally and turned it into a top-25 juggernaut that allowed just 19 points per game in 2025. His "aggressive and nasty" philosophy was the engine behind BYU’s Big 12 title run and their dominant second-half shutout of Georgia Tech in Orlando. Beyond the scheme, Hill was a recruiting powerhouse, responsible for landing elite talent like Faletau Satuala, whose future in Provo now hangs in the balance of the transfer portal.

The "Toll" Take

Drake Toll, who has cemented his legacy on every list of famous Toll names as the leading voice for the Big 12 on Westwood One, didn't hold back on the news. On a special breaking news segment, Toll called Hill’s departure a "seismic blow" to the conference’s defensive prestige. Toll argued that while Michigan is gaining a "brilliant tactical mind," BYU must now fight a two-front war: finding a successor and preventing a mass roster exodus to the Big Ten.

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