BYU adds to executive team with longtime Kentucky deputy athletic director

PROVO — BYU is adding to a power conference football administrator and college sports veteran to its athletic department executive leadership who also shares the same faith as the institution.

The flagship university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has hired Kentucky deputy athletic director Marc Hill to a senior leadership role within the department, KSL.com confirmed. ESPN first reported the hire Tuesday morning.

Hill has been with Kentucky for the past 27 years, serving as executive associate athletic director and the past seven years as deputy director of athletics to long-time AD Mitch Barnhart.

He's also been Kentucky's football sport administrator since 2012, and recently served in the church's stake presidency in Lexington, Kentucky. When former BYU men's basketball coach Mark Pope was being courted by his alma mater in 2024, Hill played a key role in finishing the deal to land John Calipari's replacement in Lexington.

"We are excited to add Marc to our executive team," BYU athletic director Brian Santiago said. "He brings a wealth of experience from the highest level of collegiate athletics that will elevate our entire athletic department. He is a great fit and will help us as we continue to chase greatness the BYU way. We look forward to welcoming the Hills to our BYU athletic family."

Hill will fulfill the same role of deputy athletic director that he held at Kentucky, a position previously held by longtime BYU senior associate athletic director for finance and scheduling Dallan Moody.

"Marc Hill is a significant addition to the BYU Athletics senior leadership team," BYU advancement vice president Keith Vorkink said in a statement. "His experience, leadership and alignment with BYU's values make him an excellent fit for BYU. We are grateful to our athletic director, Brian, for bringing him on board and believe the addition of Marc further strengthens our athletics department as we enter a new and highly anticipated athletics season."

During BYU's athletic director search, Hill — whom sources told KSL.com was a candidate for the job following Tom Holmoe's retirement — made a rare public statement on social media where he lauded his love of both Kentucky and BYU.

"Please know this," he wrote, "our family bleeds all versions of blue and white. Love the Cats. Love the Cougs. Wishing you the very best on the search."

Since 2010, Hill oversaw several aspects of the Kentucky athletic department, including internal operations, business and accounting, human resources, event and facility operations, capital projects, sports turf, sport equipment operations, and strength and conditioning departments.

His oversight included funding efforts that included a $19 million soccer/softball stadium project, a $130 million football stadium renovation, a $50 million football traning center, and a $20 million indoor track and field tracking complex.

A former strength and conditioning coach, Hill is married to the former Jenny Dalton. The Arizona grad was the Pac-12 softball player of the year and Women's College World Series MVP in 1996 before a career with USA Baseball that included a bronze medal at the 2010 Women's Baseball World Cup in Venezuela.

She also serves on USA Baseball's board of directors and has worked with ESPN during the NCAA softball tournament since 2012, and has been the general manager of the Chicago Bandits in Athletes Unlimited Softball League.

The Hills have three children, including a son Dalton who played baseball at Utah Valley; a daughter Brooke (who married former BYU offensive lineman Clark Barrington in June 2020) that played softball at BYU; and Cogan, who played golf at Division III Southern Virginia.

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