Whittingham Announces Coaching Staff for Defense, Special Teams
1/3/2026 4:42:00 PM | Football
• Jay Hill Named U-M's Lester Family Defensive Coordinator (Jan. 2)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Kyle Whittingham announced Saturday (Jan. 3) the hiring of the defensive coaching staff during his initial season leading the Wolverines' program.
In addition to Friday's (Jan. 2) announcement of Jay Hill as Michigan's Lester Family Defensive Coordinator, Whittingham has hired Jernaro Gilford (defensive backs), Lewis Powell (defensive ends/edges) and Alex Whittingham (linebackers). Kyle Whittingham has also retained defensive line coach Lou Esposito to the same position and David Denham will continue with the staff as an analyst for the defensive line.
In addition, Whittingham announced that Kerry Coombs will remain with the Michigan Football program as special teams coordinator and Garrett Clawson will continue as assistant special teams coach.
Following are biographical sketches on each of the new members of Michigan's football staff:
Jernaro Gilford, Defensive Backs
Jernaro Gilford is a veteran secondary coach who spent the last 10 seasons coaching cornerbacks at BYU. Gilford was elevated to Defensive Passing Game Coordinator for the 2025 season.
He has helped 10 players reach the NFL, including three draft picks. Across 10 seasons coaching the cornerbacks at BYU, Gilford helped seven players collect nine all-conference honors, including four honorees since 2023, BYU's first season in the Big 12. Jakob Robinson was a two-time honoree (second team, 2024) and finished his career with 11 interceptions, second-most by a BYU player since 2000. Robinson was also a Freshman All-American (2021) and a Jim Thorpe Semifinalist (2023). Kaleb Hayes was the independent Defensive Back of the Year in 2022, and Eddie Heckard was named 2023 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year.
Gilford helped BYU's secondary to three seasons with a top-30 ranking in passing yards allowed per game and four seasons with a top-30 mark in pass efficiency defense. The secondary produced 15-plus interceptions and a top-20 national rank in that category six times, including each year from 2023-25.
The 2024 Cougars led the nation with 22 picks among 29 total turnovers (tied-third, FBS), with 12 different players recording an interception, more than any other team in the country. They also posted the country's No. 3 pass efficiency rating against (105.91), best in the Big 12.
After his playing career, Gilford moved into coaching as a two-year graduate assistant (2012-13) at Whittier College in California. He coached two players to all-conference honors in Tyquion Ballad and Josh Pride. His first opportunity as a position coach came at Southern Utah (FCS), where he was charged with leading the secondary for two seasons (2014-15). He coached two All-Big Sky performers in cornerback LeShaun Sims and safety Miles Killebrew (2015), both of whom were NFL draft picks in 2016.
Gilford played cornerback at BYU, graduating in 2004 with his degree in sociology. He appeared in 37 games for the Cougars with 28 starts, totaling 10 career interceptions, and was a first-team All-Mountain West pick in 2001.
Gilford and his wife, Brittany, have two children: son Jernaro Jr., and daughter Jru.
Lewis Powell, Defensive Ends/Edges
Powell is a coaching veteran who has spent 17 seasons at the collegiate level (14 as a coach), working nearly his entire career with defensive linemen and defensive ends. He has spent the past 11 seasons, and 14 of 17 seasons overall, as a member of the Utah staff.
Powell helped eight Utah players reach the NFL, including six draft picks. Six different players achieved All-America honors under his coaching, including three first-team or consensus honorees in Jonah Elliss, Bradlee Anae and Jon Henry-Daley. Powell has mentored three Ted Hendricks Award finalists and two Pac-12 Defensive Morris Trophy winners, and at least one Utah defensive lineman was a first-team all-league choice in each season from 2021-25.
During the time Powell worked with Utah's defensive line (2016-18) and defensive ends (2019-25), the Utes were consistently among the nation's top rushing defenses with a top-30 national rank in eight seasons, listing first (five times) or second in the Pac-12 in seven of those years. The group finished top-five in the FBS on three occasions and top-20 in each of its final six years in the league. Powell's defensive lines also consistently put opponents behind the line of scrimmage. On five occasions, the Utes led the Pac-12 in tackles for loss with two years ranked in the top 12 across the FBS. Utah also led or finished second in its league in sacks four times while maintaining a top-25 national rank.
Powell played defensive line at Utah, earning his degree in 2004, and broke camp with the Cleveland Browns before a four-year career in the Arena Football League (2005-08). He then became a graduate assistant (2009-10) and administrative assistant (2011) at Utah before his first position as a coach with Hawaii, where he led the defensive line for three seasons from 2012-14. Powell then returned to Salt Lake City to coach the Utes' tight ends in 2015 before switching back to the defensive side of the ball.
He is married to the former Levalasi Key and the couple have four children: Alai, Levani, Lewis Jr. and Savai'i.
Alex Whittingham, Linebackers
Whittingham has been part of the Kansas City Chiefs organization since 2018, occupying several roles as part of the defensive coaching staff across eight seasons. He spent two years as a defensive assistant (2018, 2024), five years as a defensive quality control coach (2019, 2020-23) and served as the assistant defensive line coach for the 2025 campaign.
Whittingham was a part of five Chiefs teams that reached the Super Bowl, including the organization's LIV (2020), LVII (2022) and LVIII (2023) titles, and he worked with every defensive position group during his time with the franchise. He spent his first year working with the outside linebackers before transitioning to the defensive line room in 2019. The next four seasons, he coached with the linebackers group and in 2024, he worked with the secondary.
As a member of the Kansas City staff, Whittingham worked closely with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo since his hiring in 2019. He has assisted some of the league's top defensive players, including defensive linemen Frank Clark and Chris Jones; linebackers Nick Bolton, Dee Ford, Willie Gay, Justin Houston and Drue Tranquill; defensive back Trent McDuffie. The Chiefs were top-10 in points against in six of Whittingham's eight seasons on staff, including a top-six mark in each of the last three years. In each of his last four seasons (2022-25), the team was also top-12 in yards allowed per game.
Whittingham's coaching career began after his playing career at Utah (2013-17), where he walked on to play under his father and appeared in 45 games for the Utes.
He and his wife, Gabi, have two daughters, Eleanor and Amelia, and a son, McCoy.
