Dalton Hilliard entered the NFL coaching ranks with the Titans in 2026 after spending 11 seasons on college staffs. He joined the Titans after a brief stint as the pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach at Colorado State from December 2025 to February 2026.

From 2022 through the 2025 campaign, he was at the University of Connecticut under head coach Jim Mora, first as secondary coach (2022-23) and then as passing game coordinator/secondary coach (2024-25). During each of Hilliard's final two seasons at Connecticut, the Huskies went 9-4 and earned a bowl berth.

In 2025, Huskies redshirt sophomore cornerback Cam Chadwick tied for 23rd in the country with four interceptions. Chadwick tied a school record with three interceptions in a single game against Alabama-Birmingham.

In his first season in Storrs, Hilliard's secondary collected nine of the team's 13 interceptions on the season, led by cornerback Tre Wortham, who finished with four on the year to rank among NCAA leaders.  The UConn defense was 30th in the NCAA in passes intercepted and 24th in turnovers forced.

Hilliard spent the 2021 campaign coaching the secondary at Arkansas State before moving to Connecticut in 2022.

Hilliard spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Tennessee-Martin, first serving as the defensive pass game coordinator/cornerbacks coach in 2019 before being elevated to defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach in 2020. Hilliard's first season with the program saw the Skyhawks rank first in the Ohio Valley Conference in pass defense efficiency while also pacing the league in scoring defense (19.5 points allowed per game).

Prior to his time at UT Martin, Hilliard was on staff at UCLA, where he served under Chip Kelly in 2018 as a defensive and special teams analyst after spending 2015 through 2017 as defensive graduate assistant under Mora.  As a graduate assistant, he spent time gaining experience at each of the linebacker, defensive line and secondary position groups. Additionally, he heavily assisted in recruiting and served as the defensive signal caller on gamedays.

Prior to his time at UCLA, he spent a year as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Punahou (Hawaii) High School.

Hilliard was a four-year letterman at UCLA, seeing action in 41 games while earning 27 starts. He tallied 114 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception in his career with the Bruins. As a senior, he was honored as the team's Tommy Prothro Award for Outstanding Special Teams Player of the Year and one of three Kenneth S. Washington Award winners for Outstanding Senior of the Year.

After his collegiate career, Hilliard signed as an undrafted free agent safety with the Chicago Bears in 2013. Following his stint in the NFL, he played professional football in Italy, leading Seamen Milano to the team's first Italian Super Bowl in 20 years.

Hilliard was born in Chicago, Ill., and moved multiple times during childhood due to his father's service in the United State Marine Corps. He lettered three seasons in his prep career at Punahou High School in Honolulu.

Hilliard graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology from UCLA in 2013. He added a master's degree from UCLA in higher education and organizational change in 2017.

He is married to Katrina with three daughters: Naiya, Layla and Gianna.

DALTON HILLIARD'S COACHING TIMELINE

2026: Defensive Backs/Nickels – Tennessee Titans

2024-25: Passing Game Coordinator/Secondary – University of Connecticut

2022-23: Secondary – University of Connecticut

2021: Secondary – Arkansas State University

2020: Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Secondary – Tennessee Martin

2019: Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks – Tennessee Martin

2018: Defensive/Special Teams Analyst – UCLA

2015-17: Defensive/Special Teams Graduate Assistant – UCLA