FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation has announced BYU defensive coordinator and safeties coach Jay Hill as a nominee for the 2024 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coaches.
Hill is one 65 nominees selected from approximately 1,500 assistant coaches representing 131 FBS programs across the country. He is one of seven assistant coaches from the Big 12 Conference to be named a Broyles Award nominee in 2024.n
In just his second year as defensive coordinator and safeties coach, Hill has helped lead BYU football from a 5-7 record in 2023 to a 9-2 record, a tie for first place in the Big 12 and No. 19 national ranking in 2024.
With one regular-season game remaining, Hill’s defense leads the FBS in interceptions with 18. BYU’s defense also has the fifth best team defensive passing rating at 102.9 and is seventh in turnover gained with 23. Two BYU defensive backs, Jakob Robinson and Tanner Wall, are tied for sixth in the Big 12 in interceptions with three each, while linebacker Isaiah Glasker is second in the conference in tackles for loss (12.5) and cornerback Marque Collins is ninth in pass breakups (9). In addition, Wall is a candidate for Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Hill joined the BYU coaching staff in 2022. Before coming to Provo, he was the head coach at Weber State from 2014-22. He began his coaching career as the cornerbacks coach at Utah in 2005. He also coached the running backs and tight ends during his nine seasons at Utah from 2005-13.
Originally from Lehi, Utah, Hill played cornerback at Utah from 1998-99, where he led the MWC in interceptions as a senior and was named All-MWC Second Team. He later played in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants.
Hill’s nomination is the seventh consecutive year that BYU has produced a candidate for the Broyles Award. Former BYU associate head coach Ed Lamb was a nominee in 2018. Current offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick was a nominee in 2019 and 2021, while passing game coordinator Fesi Sitake earned a nomination in 2022 and cornerback coach Jernaro Gilford was honored in 2023. Former Cougar assistant coach Jeff Grimes was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2020.
The Broyles Award was created in 1996 recognizing Coach Frank Broyles’ legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his hall of fame career as head coach at Arkansas. The selection process for the annual award includes the Football Writers Association of America, broadcasters, College Football Hall of Fame selection committee and current college head coaches.