BYU’s defensive unit may soon be at the center of a coaching carousel that extends from Provo to Ann Arbor and possibly even to Los Angeles. The Cougars are getting ready for a potential vacancy at one of the most crucial roles on Kalani Sitake’s staff, as BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill is expected to leave for Michigan under the newly hired HC Kyle Whittingham.

According to Bruce Feldman, one name already emerging as a potential candidate for BYU’s expected DC opening is USC’s DL coach Shaun Nua, a BYU alum who played for the Cougars and began his coaching career back in 2009 at Provo.

Michigan is “very, very” close to hiring Hill as its new defensive coordinator under Kyle Whittingham. Hill, 50, has managed the Cougars’ defense for the last four seasons while also acting as assistant head coach and safeties coach.

If Hill’s move becomes official, BYU’s focus might quickly shift to Nua, which could upset USC head coach Lincoln Riley. Nua, who is currently in his fourth season with USC, has been a stabilizing factor for a Trojan defense that improved significantly in the last two seasons, cutting its points allowed by more than 10 points per game and finishing among the best in the country in third-down defense.

Nua, a former Super Bowl-winning DE with outstanding development credentials from USC, Michigan, Navy, and Arizona State, is a perfect pick if the Cougars value defensive leadership. As associate head coach and defensive coordinator, he has subtly created a defense that is simply strong and disciplined rather than flashy or centered on dominant star power. The numbers back it up. BYU improved from a 79.6 grade and a No. 32 ranking in 2024 to an 87 impact score on PFSN’s College Defense impact score in 2025, placing them at 13th nationally and second in the Big 12.

It fits the kind of football Michigan believes in, built on culture more than recruiting stars, the same formula Whittingham mastered at Utah and one Hill has helped carry forward in Provo. For BYU, the success that made Hill attractive elsewhere is now forcing Kalani Sitake to confront the reality that stability comes at a price.

Whittingham’s Michigan move brings uncertainty to BYU

Kalani Sitake didn’t think Kyle Whittingham would ever walk away from football. When Whittingham signed a five-year deal to become Michigan’s next HC, the move immediately sent ripples through Sitake’s program, even as BYU celebrated a bowl win. He admitted this following BYU’s 25–21 victory over Georgia Tech in Orlando, stating that it was tough to imagine his longtime colleague suddenly stepping down.

Those ripples grew quickly. Whittingham was already in Florida, meeting with Michigan officials and starting the process of building his new staff. And that’s when well-known names like Jay Hill started to pop up.

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“When [Whittingham takes a job], he has a network that he goes to for putting together a staff. That is how football works,” Sitake said. “I feel really good about what we have going here with the players and coaches. We will go with what we’ve got. They established the foundation, and Jay was a big part of that defensively.”

Sitake’s tone was a mix of pride and reality, that of a coach who understands that success comes with a cost. Although losing assistants is painful, it also indicates that the program is operating well.

“You’re doing things the right way. People are going to want your guys, especially your coaching staff. So we’ve had a lot of people that are interested in our coaches and myself, and that’s a good sign,” Sitake said.

This season, BYU finished 11-2, and big programs are suddenly paying close attention. “It’s difficult when you’re the head coach, and you’re trying to keep things going, but if you have a great foundation, like I know Georgia Tech has, and we have, then guys are going to want them, and they’re going to other places. It’s a compliment,” added Sitake.

Sitake believes that if he builds the foundation the right way, the right players and coaches will want to be there, even when the carousel starts spinning again.