Kyle Whittingham’s staff at Michigan is nearing completion.
The Wolverines are expected to hire BYU cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator Jernaro Gilford, per a report from CBS Sports.
Gilford helped new Michigan defensive coordinator Jay Hill finish with a top-20 scoring defense at BYU last season.
Gilford, a former cornerback at BYU from 1999-03, has spent the past 10 years with the Cougars as cornerbacks coach, adding defensive passing game coordinator to his title in 2025.
This season, BYU finished 50th in FBS in passing yards allowed (209.7) and eighth in interceptions (17).
In 2024, the Cougars finished 11-2 and forced 29 turnovers – the third-most in the country. Twelve players recorded at least one interception, the most in FBS.
Prior to BYU, Gilford coached the secondary at Southern Utah (2014-15) and was a graduate assistant at Whitter College from 2012-13.
With the addition of Gilford, Michigan’s lone on-field coaching vacancy remaining is overseeing the linebackers. Along with Gilford and Hill on the defensive side of the ball, Whittingham hired Utah’s Lewis Powell as defensive ends coach and retained Lou Esposito to coach defensive line.
