Weber State University announced Thursday the hiring of Jay Hill as the 11th head coach of its football program. Hill was formerly an assistant coach at the University of Utah, coaching there full-time for eight years. He comes to WSU with a reputation as one of the top recruiters in the West and has spent time working for three different head coaches at the U of U.
“My family and I are so excited to join the Weber State program,” Hill said. “There are so many great things in place at Weber State, and the tradition, facilities and overall program are primed for success. This is a place we can win and be successful, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Hill’s mentors include former WSU and Ute coach Ron McBride, Urban Meyer, Kyle Whittingham and former Utah State University head coach Gary Anderson.
“We’re thrilled to have Jay join the Weber State family,” said Jerry Bovee, director of athletics at WSU. “We had a number of high-quality candidates and interest in our head coaching job, and Jay emerged as the top choice. He has a reputation as one of the top recruiters in the area and has worked under some of the best coaches in the state.”
Hill, a native of Lehi, Utah, played college football at Ricks Junior College, where he earned junior college All-American honors at cornerback. He went on to play two seasons (1998-99) at the U of U under McBride. As a senior he led the Mountain West Conference in interceptions, was named Defensive MVP and earned second-team All-Conference honors.
During his tenure with the Utes, Hill became acclaimed as a top recruiter. Rivals.com named him to its Class of 2009 Top 25 Recruiters list and named him one of the top 10 recruiters in the Pac-12 in 2012. He held many coaching responsibilities, including tight ends coach, cornerbacks coach and running backs coach.
Hill graduated from U of U with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in sports psychology. He and his wife, Sara, have four children.
The Signpost will provide more information on Hill later in print and on www.wsusignpost.com.
