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BYU Coach Jay Hill Won’t Stop Working — Even At Disneyland

Jan 9, 2023, 2:26 PM

Jay Hill, BYU Football...

BYU football associate head coach and defensive coordinator Jay Hill. (Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)

(Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)

PROVO, Utah – BYU’s new defensive coordinator Jay Hill is relentless. When he was an assistant coach at the University of Utah, he was tabbed as one of the best recruiters in the Pac-12.

During his time as a head coach at Weber State, he led the Wildcats to heights they had never experienced. Taking them to four consecutive Big Sky Championships and a Final Four appearance in the FCS Semifinals in 2019.

That body of work is why BYU head coach Kalani Sitake targeted Hill to be the next defensive coordinator as the Cougars move into the Big 12 Conference.

But sometimes you have to kick back and relax, right? Well, apparently, not for Jay Hill. Especially in the thick of Transfer Portal recruiting season.

Jay Hill was hard at work at Disneyland

Hill’s daughter, Alayna, posted a funny TikTok showing BYU’s new associate head coach hard at work during a recent family trip to Disneyland.

@layna.hill football coach goes to disney during recruiting season 😀 😗😖😝#collegefootballreruiting #byufootball #disneyland ♬ Hard Work – U.S. Drill Sergeant Field Recordings

The best part is probably the film study while in line for Space Mountain. Can someone give Jay a churro or a turkey leg while he breaks down that film, please?

But the grind never stops for a football coach these days. Especially in year one, with a chance to set the tone for the identity of his defense. A first year that is also a year one for BYU football as they enter the Big 12.

Drawing up a defense and Disney characters

Hill did pause from a work a little bit during his visit to the Magic Kingdom. He apparently took part in the Animation Academy at California Adventure by drawing Goofy and Stitch.

Now Hill goes back to the drawing board to create a defense that will try to contend in a Power Five conference.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU moving to the Big 12 Conference on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.

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BYU Coach Jay Hill Won’t Stop Working — Even At Disneyland