BYU Hires BYU Native As QB Coach

Tyler Hughes has returned to his hometown of Salt Lake City to serve as the quarterbacks coach at Brigham Young University. He joined the staff in January under offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, filling the vacancy left by Matt Mitchell, who departed for Colorado State. Hughes is a 23-year veteran who has coached at every level of football, from high school to the NFL.

The move marks a homecoming for the former East High School standout and Snow College quarterback. Hughes has lived in at least 15 different residences since starting his career, a pace of change that kept moving companies busy across the country. His family, including his wife Lisa and four sons, has relocated with him to every time zone in the continental United States. One of his sons attended six different elementary schools during these moves.

Hughes has held positions at major institutions including Ohio State, Washington, and Alabama. He also spent two stints with the New England Patriots. Most recently, he worked as a football analyst at Alabama in 2025 under head coach Kalen DeBoer. He also served as an offensive analyst at Washington in 2023, the year the Huskies reached the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Roderick has known Hughes for decades and kept him on a list of potential candidates. When the opportunity arose, Roderick invited Hughes to interview. Roderick said the process was decisive. “He just crushed the interview. He did such a great job. It was pretty clear we were getting a really good football coach,” Roderick said.

Hughes expressed gratitude for the return to the program that shaped his early career. He noted that he and his wife made the decision based on professional variables and the health of the program. “We felt like the program here was super healthy. We have good quarterbacks in the room, with Bear and the other guys,” Hughes said. He also cited the positive chemistry he felt with the coaching staff during the interview process.

Hughes is now working with sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who has drawn praise from the new coach. Hughes said Bachmeier possesses the skills to play in the NFL, citing his intelligence, decision-making, and accuracy. “He just throws with good touch when he needs to. He puts it in the right spots,” Hughes said. He noted that Bachmeier can operate effectively at short, intermediate, and deep ranges.

The Cougars, currently ranked No. 8 with a 6-1 overall record, prepare to host Arizona State on Saturday. The game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MDT at LaVell Edwards Stadium. BYU is looking to recover from a 39-31 double-overtime loss to UCF in the previous week. Hughes also works with freshman Enoch Watson and QB2 Treyson Bourguet, who joined the program last December.

Hughes reflected on the toll of constant travel on his family, acknowledging that the moves were not their choice. However, he said his wife and children have expressed appreciation for the diverse life experiences they have gained. “They’ve been appreciative of some of the life experiences that they have had. We’ve been blessed,” Hughes said.