University of Connecticut Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Defensive Backs Coach
- Email:
- football@uconn.edu
Assistant Coach Dalton Hilliard begins his fourth season in Storrs on Head Coach Jim Mora’s coaching staff in 2025 and will continue to serve as the Huskies defensive backs coach. He also serves as the defense's pass game coordinator.
Hilliard came to UConn after spending the 2021 season as the secondary coach at Arkansas State. Hilliard worked as a defensive graduate assistant at UCLA during Mora’s time as head coach for the Bruins.
Hilliard’s secondary was led once again in 2023 by a pair of mainstays at safety in Durante Jones and Malik Dixon-Willams, who were among the team’s top-tacklers. Jones was second on the team last fall with 72 total tackles while Dixon-Williams, despite missing four games to injury, finished with 43 tackles, an interception, and two forced fumbles.
In his first season in Storrs, Hilliard’s secondary collected nine of the team’s 13 interceptions on the season led by corner Tre Wortham who finished with four on the year, ranking among NCAA leaders. The UConn defense was 30th in the NCAA in passes intercepted and 24th in turnovers gained.
Hilliard spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Tennessee-Martin, serving as the defensive pass game coordinator each year and the cornerbacks coach in 2019, before being elevated to secondary coach in 2020.
While UT Martin did not play a fall football schedule in 2020, Hilliard’s first season with the program saw the Skyhawks rank first in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in pass defense efficiency while also pacing the league in scoring defense (19.5 avg.).
The Skyhawks ranked third in the league with 13 interceptions and led the conference with three defensive touchdowns and a plus-5 turnover margin. The corners boasted an impressive coverage stat, allowing zero touchdowns against conference opponents.
As the corners coach in 2019, Hilliard coached All-OVC performer DaVonte Maura, who earned all-conference second team honors after tallying 73 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, one interception and 11 pass breakups.
His first recruiting class with the Skyhawks boasted a talented group of defensive backs, ranking as the No. 1 DB recruiting class in the OVC and top-five nationally. Headlining the talented group was Anthony Prospere, who ranked as the nation's No. 1 defensive back recruit signed in the FCS for the 2020 class.
Prior to his time at UT Martin, Hilliard was on staff at UCLA, where he served as a defensive and special teams analyst for a season after spending 2015-17 as defensive graduate assistant under Coach Mora. As a graduate assistant, he spent time at all major position groups on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker, defensive line and the secondary.
Additionally, he heavily assisted in recruiting, and served as the defensive signal caller on gamedays. He remained on Chip Kelly’s staff in 2018 as a defensive/special teams analyst.
Prior to his time at UCLA, he spent a year as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Punahou High School (Hawaii).
After his collegiate career, Hilliard signed as an undrafted free agent 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 a four-year safety 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. 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.
Hilliard was born in Chicago, Ill., but moved around as a child thanks 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. He amassed 1,840 all-purpose yards and scored 19 touchdowns as a senior. He rushed for 599 yards and 10 touchdowns while tallying 63 receptions for 725 yards and eight touchdown catches. He was named team captain, offensive player of the year and first-team all-state as a junior and senior while earning second team honors as a sophomore.
Hilliard graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA in 2013. He later added a master’s degree in higher education and organizational change in from UCLA in 2017.
Hilliard and his wife, Katrina, have a daughter, Naiya.
Coaching Career
| Years | University/Organization | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2022- | UConn | Defensive Backs |
| 2021 | Arkansas State | Secondary |
| 2020 | Tennessee Martin | Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Secondary |
| 2019 | Tennessee Martin | Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks |
| 2018 | UCLA | Defensive/Special Teams Analyst |
| 2015-17 | UCLA | Defensive/Special Teams Graduate Assistant |
