A Coach’s Journey: BYU Cougars DB Coach Jernaro Gilford
Oct 5, 2022, 12:30 PM
Jernaro Gilford coaches at BYU (Photo: Deseret News)
(Photo: Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – Jernaro Gilford feels blessed to be in the position he is at BYU as the defensive backs coach for the Cougs.
Gilford’s playing career ended in 2004 due to injuries. He credits his wife for encouraging him to get into coaching.
“She (his wife) was 100 percent behind me,” he said.
In the interview with Hans Olsen he told a story about working for a pest control company and the moment that finally drove him to quit and pursue coaching.
Jernaro Gilford”s Journey To The BYU Cougars
After doing some coaching at the high school level, Bronco Mendenhall called Gilford to see if he wanted to be a graduate assistant, but unfortunately, the window of time for him to do that had closed.
His first job at the college level came with Whittier in California. Next stop, Southern Utah University with coach Ed Lamb and then to BYU with current BYU Football head coach Kalani Sitake.
#BYU cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford is setting the expectation that there will be daily competition again this season.#BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/lrl9dyIw0J
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) June 24, 2022
Gilford talked openly about the financial struggles he and his wife faced during his coaching journey.
Currently, his ultimate goal is a defensive coordinator position.
A Coach’s Journey is a special addition to the Hans & Scotty G. podcast feed hosted by Hans Olsen. Olsen seeks to have in-depth conversations with local college football coaches about their ups and downs as they chase the dream.
