Michigan football rumors: Kyle Whittingham’s expected DC hire creates domino effect for BYU, USC

One name Michigan football team fans hoped might calm the coaching chaos appears to be off the table. Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter reportedly has no interest in taking the Wolverines job right now, with FootballScoop noting NFL sources believe he would not accept it as his stock keeps rising at the pro level.

That uncertainty at the top is already creating ripple effects elsewhere. Bruce Feldman reported on X that Jay Hill is expected to become Kyle Whittingham’s defensive coordinator at Michigan, a move that would likely open a defensive coordinator vacancy at BYU.

And if BYU has to replace Hill, Feldman flagged a very specific name to watch: USC defensive line coach Shaun Nua, who played and began his coaching career at BYU.

That’s the kind of chain reaction that tells you how fast this cycle can move.

Nua’s BYU ties are the obvious connective tissue if that job does come open, and the fact he’s currently on Lincoln Riley’s staff at USC makes it the sort of tug-of-war that can turn into a quiet bidding battle.

For Michigan, it also underscores how the search isn’t happening in a vacuum. With Minter seemingly out of the running, attention shifts to how the next leadership group would actually be built, especially on defense.

If Hill is indeed headed to Ann Arbor, it would represent a major piece falling into place even while the broader head coaching situation remains unsettled.

The backdrop is still messy. Michigan fired Sherrone Moore for cause and has been cycling through possibilities while the calendar keeps squeezing the program from both ends, bowl prep on one side, staff and roster decisions on the other.

Any move made now has consequences well beyond Schembechler Hall.

Another curveball floated into the conversation this week: Dan Patrick said a college source mentioned former Michigan quarterback Brian Griese as a dark horse head coach option, citing his recent coaching work with the 49ers’ quarterbacks and the fact that he took this season off to be with family.

For now, the cleanest read is that Michigan’s staff decisions are already reshaping the market. If Hill-to-Michigan advances, BYU’s next call and USC’s next response could follow quickly.

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