New Michigan State head coach Kyle Whittingham is hiring familiar faces as two of his assistants.
According to ESPN, BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill will serve in the same position with the Wolverines, while Utah State offensive coordinator Jason Baker will serve as the team’s offensive coordinator. Both Hill and Baker have been considered Whittingham’s top choices since the former Utah State coach was named the replacement for the fired Sheron Moore.
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Like Baker, Hill also has ties to Utah State, where Whittingham was the second-longest-tenured coach in college football but resigned after the season. Hill, who just completed his third season as BYU’s defensive coordinator, was an assistant coach with the Utes from 2001 to 2013. He served as the Utes’ offensive and defensive coach before becoming the head coach at Weber State from 2014 to 2022.
BYU’s defense has been one of the most reliable in the country over the past two seasons. After a rough first year in the Big 12, the Cougars have allowed fewer than 20 points per game each of the past two seasons. Texas Tech is the only team in 2025 to score more than 27 points against BYU all season.
Baker came to Utah from New Mexico after the 2024 season and played only one season at Utah. In 2024, after a rough offensive season in which four quarterbacks received significant playing time, Whittingham turned to Baker and then to former UNM quarterback Devin Dampier.
In 2025, the Utes are averaging 6.6 yards per game and over 41 points per game. Only four teams average more points per game than they do. Dampier threw for over 2,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards at Utah in 2024 and passed for nearly 2,500 yards and rushed for 835 yards in 2025. True freshman quarterback Bird Ficklin also played in 12 games, rushing 61 times for 513 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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Utah has three players — Ficklin, Dampier and running back Naqualee Rodgers — who scored at least 10 rushing touchdowns last season.
Baker’s offense should be a good fit for Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood. Underwood is a former five-star recruit and Michigan native who was a starter for the Wolverines in his true rookie season. He showed promise as a dual-threat quarterback, but games against top opponents in 2025 showed he still has a long way to go as a passer.