BYU Football Offensive Coordinator and Other Assistant Coach Candidates

Jeff Grimes is off to Baylor as OC after leading BYU to one of the most potent offenses in the nation in 2020.

Grimes no doubt leaves a big void, but BYU has plenty of capable assistants already in the staff that can help fill in. Hiring from within makes a ton of sense and is likely the route BYU will go, but there is a chance other assistants may get poached by other schools and BYU will have to look elsewhere.

We take a look at the top BYU offensive coordinator candidates and other assistant coaches BYU could hire to fill out the 10 assistant coach slots.

Offensive Coordinator

Aaron Roderick, BYU Passing Game Coordinator/QB Coach

Roderick is the easy choice. He’s been on BYU’s staff for three years and has been heavily involved in game prep and execution. He was a huge part of Zach Wilson’s development from 3-star prospect to likely top 10 NFL Draft pick. He was previously an offensive coordinator at Utah and SUU and is an ace recruiter. BYU can look around at other places, but Roderick should be the man.

Fesi Sitake/Steve Clark, BYU Assistants

Sitake and Clark likely wouldn’t get promoted over Roderick, but they both have OC experience and deserve some sort of promotion. Fesi has been BYU’s WR coach since 2018 after a stint as Weber State’s offensive coordintor. If Roderick becomes OC, Fesi would be a prime candidate to get a pay raise as BYU’s co-offensive coordinator, passing-game coordinator, QB coach, or a combination of those roles.

Clark has been on BYU’s staff since 2016 as Tight Ends coach. He was SUU’s OC before that is very deserving as a promotion similar to what we laid out for Fesi.

Dennis Simmons, Oklahoma Associate Head Coach/Outside Wide Receivers Coach

Simmons is one of the best offensive assistants in the country and has spent years learning under offensive guru Lincoln Riley. He was a linebacker at BYU from 1992-1996 and teammates with Kalani Sitake in 1994. BYU didn’t have much of a chance to hire Simmons in 2018, but the BYU OC job is much more attractive now 3 years later. Simmons makes $460k annually at Oklahoma and probably wouldn’t make much more at BYU, but he take a similar route Jeff Grimes took 3 years ago and take a promotion title.

Simmons is a fantastic recruiter and would be a home run hire for BYU, but he’ll have other P5 options soon enough and may not come to BYU to hold onto to those options.

Paul Peterson, Dixie State Head Coach

Peterson became DSU’s head coach in 2019 and led them to a 8-3 record. He’s leading them in Dixie’s transition to FCS, but didn’t get a chance to coach in 2020 due to COVID postponing the FCS season. Peterson was previously head coach at Snow College and led a potent offense there.

Peterson is a great offensive mind with head coaching/OC experience and JUCO connections, but he would likely be behind the pecking order to Roderick.

Jason Beck, QB Coach Virginia

The former BYU QB was also BYU’s QB coach from 2013-2015. He’s been Virginia’s QB coach since 2016 and had a stint as a OC at Simon Fraser (Canada) in 2012. Beck seems like a long shot to become OC at this point, but he is a capable offensive mind who could return to Provo sometime in the future.

Other Potential Assistants

If BYU promotes Roderick, they will have one vacancy on the staff. BYU had 6 offensive assistants and 4 defensive assistants this past year, so BYU could elect to hire a defensive assistant to balance things out.

Vince Feula, BYU Defensive Analyst

Feula has been on BYU’s staff since 2015 as a student/graduate assistant and spent the past two seasons as a defensive analyst. He played at BYU from 2004-2005 and has put in the time to receive a promotion. He would be a prime candidate to be a full-time DL coach.

Jan Jorgensen, Snow College DC/LB Coach

One of the best pass rushers in BYU history, Jorgensen has been serving as Snow’s defensive coordinator since 2019. Jorgensen would be a fantastic hire as a defensive line coach and would bring with him some JUCO connections.

Blair Peterson, BYU QB/Offense Analyst

If BYU wanted to keep an extra assistant on offense, Peterson would be an easy hire. He’s been on the staff has an OC and has D1 coaching experience. He was an offensive quality control coach at Rice from 2017-2018, FIU’s tight ends coach in 2016, and was an offensive quality control coach at Texas from 2010-2012.

Matt Ah You/ Weber State Assistant Coach/Inside Linebackers.

Ah You played at BYU in 2003, 2004, and 2008 and was a BYU defensive analyst from 2018-2019.

Skyler Ridley, Weber State Tight Ends Coach

The former BYU wideout was a Weber grad assistant form 2016-2018 and has been the tight ends coach since 2019. If Clark or Fesi Sitake leave, he would be a prime candidate to replace either one of them.