ChadWilt

Chad Wilt, with more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience and extensive bowl game history, joined Kentucky’s football staff in 2026 as the Wildcats’ inside linebackers coach.

Wilt has spent half his career at Power Four programs in the Atlantic Coast and Big Ten conferences, most recently at Michigan State as the co-special teams coordinator/rush ends coach.

With the Spartans, Wilt tutored punter Ryan Eckley, who led the Big Ten in punting in 2024 (47.9 avg.) and 2025 (48.5 avg.). In 2025, he earned the Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year honor, was named a consensus first-team All-Big Ten punter by the league’s coaches and media, and was recognized as a second-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and ESPN. Additionally, he was a third-team All-America choice by the Associated Press. Eckley was selected to compete in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl with plans to enter the 2026 NFL Draft.

In 2024, Wilt had two all-conference performers as Eckley and placekicker Jonathan Kim both earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades, while defensive end Khris Bogle led MSU with four sacks and ranked second with 7.5 tackles for loss to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition.

During his time at Indiana, Wilt tutored first-team All-Big Ten linebacker Aaron Casey, who led the Big Ten in 2023 in tackles for loss (20.0 for 82 yards) and also ranked sixth in tackles (109) and tied for eighth in sacks (6.5 for 44 yards). Casey earned an invite to the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals.

In addition to Casey, defensive lineman Andre Carter and defensive back Kobee Minor picked up honorable mention All-Big Ten plaudits for IU. Carter racked up 11 tackles for loss and two sacks as part of his 49 tackles overall.

During the 2022 season, four Hoosier defenders earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades, including linebacker Cam Jones, who was on the 2023 roster for the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Prior to arriving at Indiana, Wilt was the defensive line coach at Minnesota for two seasons. Minnesota’s defense in 2021 was one of the most dominant in school history, ranking third in the FBS in total defense (278.8 ypg), sixth in scoring defense (17.3 ppg) and eighth in both rushing defense (97.5 ypg) and passing defense (181.2 ypg). Defensive end Boye Mafe, a second-team All-Big Ten selection, led the way with seven sacks and was a second-round selection by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Mafe led the Seahawks with nine sacks in 2023 and had 52 tackles to go with six passes defended. In addition, fellow defensive end Esezi Otomewo was a fifth-round pick by the Vikings.

During his lone season as the defensive line coach at Cincinnati, Wilt coached first-team All-American Athletic Conference defensive lineman Elijah Ponder as the Bearcats ranked first in the AAC in scoring defense (20.6 ppg). UC finished the season ranked No. 21 in the final polls with an 11-3 record following a win over Boston College in the Birmingham Bowl.

Wilt had a highly successful three-year stint as the defensive line coach at Army West Point, helping the Black Knights to a 29-10 record during that span with three wins over Navy, three bowl victories (2016 Heart of Dallas, 2017 Armed Forces, 2018 Armed Forces) and a pair of Commander in Chief’s Trophy wins. Army won a school-record 11 games in 2018 and finished ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll as the defense ranked among the FBS leaders in total defense (eighth at 295.5 ypg), scoring defense (10th at 17.7 ppg) and rushing defense (10th at 106.8 ypg).

Wilt first coached in the Big Ten at Maryland during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, where he mentored three NFL Draft picks on the defensive line (2015: Darius Kilgo, sixth round, Broncos; 2016: Yannick Ngakoue, third round, Jaguars; Quinton Jefferson, fifth round, Seahawks). Ngakoue earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2015 and was second in the nation with 13.5 sacks, while Jefferson was invited to the Senior Bowl. Both Ngakoue and Jefferson recently completed their ninth season in the NFL in 2024. In addition, Wilt tutored Andre Monroe in 2014, who finished second in the Big Ten with 10.5 sacks to set the school’s all-time record with 25.

Before coaching at Maryland, Wilt spent three seasons as the defensive line coach at Ball State; he also added recruiting coordinator responsibilities in 2013. Wilt helped develop defensive end Jonathan Newsome into a fifth-round NFL Draft pick by the Colts. A first-team All-MAC selection in 2013, Newsome ranked second in the MAC with 10 sacks and added 11.5 tackles for loss as the Cardinals won 10 games and played in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Newsome was a second-team all-league choice in 2012 with 8.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs. Wilt also coached defensive tackle Nathan Ollie to All-MAC honors three times (second team in 2011 and 2013, third team in 2012).

During his one season at Richmond in 2010, Wilt coached All-American defensive lineman Martin Parker. Parker had 14.5 TFLs and five sacks for the Spiders in 2010 and was named the Defensive MVP at the East-West Shrine Bowl before signing as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants; he was a member of the Giants Super Bowl XLVI Championship team.

Wilt, who spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Virginia in 2004-05, returned to UVA in 2009 as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator. He mentored All-ACC honoree Nate Collins, who signed with the Bears in 2010.

Wilt was also the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at Liberty for three seasons from 2006-08, where he helped the Flames to two Big South titles while coaching four All-Americans during his tenure in Lynchburg.

Wilt’s first coaching position was at Central Connecticut State, where he served as the program’s defensive line coach and special teams coordinator for three seasons (2001-03).

A four-year letterwinner (1996-99) as a defensive end at Taylor University, Wilt was a three-time all-conference selection and two-time academic all-league honoree for the Trojans. He was also voted team captain as a senior.

Wilt was named a second-team NAIA All-American following his junior and senior seasons, helping Taylor to back-to-back NAIA playoff appearances, including the school’s first playoff victory in 1999.

He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Taylor in 2000 and his master’s degree in education leadership, foundations and policy from Virginia in 2006.

A native of Upland, Ind., Chad and his wife, Megan, have two sons, Cooper and Maddox, and one daughter, Charlotte.

Chad Wilt’s Coaching Career