After a search that lasted over six weeks, BYU has found a new tight ends coach. On Friday, BYU announced the hiring of Kevin Gilbride. Gilbride, who was an analyst at Charlotte last season, coached 12 years in the NFL.
In 2022, Gilbride was the tight ends coach for the Carolina Panthers. In 2021, he was on the Panthers staff as a defensive assistant.
From 2018-2019, Gilbride was the tight ends coach for the Chicago Bears. In his first season with the Bears, Gilbride coached Trey Burton who finished with a career high 54 receptions for 569 yards.
Prior to his time in Chicago, he spent eight years with the New York Giants. He was an offensive quality control assistant in 2010, an offensive assistant in 2011, and he was the wide receivers coach from 2012-2013.
After 2013, he spent four years as the tight ends coach from 2014-2017.
This won't be Gilbride's first stop in Provo. He was a freshman quarterback at BYU in 1998 before he transferred to Hawaii. In 1998, Gilbride was on the team at the same time as Aaron Roderick and Kalani Sitake.
Gilbride will bring a unique NFL angle to the BYU coaching staff. He will have two young tight ends in Jackson Bowers and Ryner Swanson that were four-star recruits coming out of high school. If Gilbride can help those two reach their potential, it will provide a boost to the BYU offense.
Time will tell how Gilbride performs on the recruiting trail. College assistant coaches live and die by the players they bring into the program.
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