The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 81 a good chance to get [defensive ends] coach [Lewis] Powell coming from Utah with Coach Whittingham. I'd worked with Coach Powell before and knew him because we played together. That was a great hire. "Then, I love [linebackers coach] Alex Whittingham and his background, just having been with the Kansas City Chiefs the last eight years. I know how that family operates and works in the sport of football, and I thought that was an awesome hire." The Wolverine: Which coaches did you suggest to Coach Whittingham that you advocated for? Hill: "The ones I had 100 percent full say in — and I had a say in all of them — but the ones that were hired just from m e a n d Coa c h W h i t t co l l a b o ra t i n g were [safeties coach] Tyler Stockton and [cornerbacks coach] Jernaro Gil- ford. I had heard great things about Ty- ler, and I knew the Boise [State] people loved him. He took one of the kids I had recruited and really turned him into a phenomenal player. Tyler Stockton was a big addition. "Jernaro, having worked with him the last three years … BYU is a place where when I got there, the corner group was strong. He had done a great job recruit- ing them and developing them. That was actually a strength at BYU. Being able to bring Coach Gilford with me was a no-brainer. "Espo [former U-M defensive line coach Lou Esposito] was here at the time, and I loved Espo. He was a great dude, but you can't fault him for want- ing to go to the NFL. When he did, the first name that came up was Larry Black. I had multiple people reach out and say, 'If you can get him, he is the best of the best.' So, I called Coach Black, but we just didn't know if we could work it out with contracts and all the other things that were going on, but we did. And he's phenomenal. "This is a rock star staff. I would put them up with anyone anywhere in the country. I just think they are phenom- enal. They're the best of the best. They could coach anywhere." The Wolverine: You played defense for Coach Whittingham. How did you develop your defensive philoso- phy over the years, and did it start with him? How has it evolved? Hill: "It started with Coach Whitt and his dad [Fred]. I played for Kyle. He was the D.C., and his dad was a critical piece to our defense and just where that philosophy was. It's definitely evolved. Coach Whitt evolved it from his dad. The next coordinator, Gary Andersen, put his flavor on it, and the next guy, Kalani Sitake, put his flavor on it. "It's evolved a little bit, but the roots are exactly the same. I've tweaked and changed and put a little of my personality on it, as well. I think you have to do that to be successful. It has to fit you. You can't be robotic and just call it like the other guys. You have to call it like you see it. "I liked the additions we made to it at BYU. We added a little bit more odd front, probably played a little more two-high safety stuff at times in differ- ent game plans. The bottom line — we tweaked and changed it a little bit, and I think it was a good thing for us." T he Wolverine: What were your first impressions of the talent you inherited on defense when you saw them put on the pads? Hill: "I knew Michigan would have talent. That was a big reason I was will- ing to come. Once you see it in person, then it becomes something more real. "I was impressed, especially with certain guys. I can't say across the board, 'We've got 15 NFL guys.' I don't think anywhere you go is like that. But I can say I was very impressed with the caliber of person they had, the caliber of player they had. We have great kids at the University of Michigan. Great. That was very evident to me early, early in this transition." The Wolverine: Two of your star players, edge John Henry Daley and safety Rod Moore, are coming back from serious injuries. Where are they in their recoveries, and will they be good to go this fall? Hill: "Right now, they're for sure on track. They were both in our run [June 9] and looked good. But we've got to be smart with those guys. They're com- ing off some pretty substantial injuries. What we're not going to do is be dumb at this stage [and overwork them]. "But we do need to be working them back into the fold. Where they are now is very, very promising, and a great sign." ❑ Hill was a standout cornerback for Utah while Kyle Whittingham was the Utes' defensive coordinator and later coached under him for 12 seasons in Salt Lake City. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL