Michigan Fires Offensive Coordinator Jason Beck Following Loss To Michigan State

What was supposed to be a seamless transition under Kyle Whittingham has instead turned into a nightmare nine-game slide for the Michigan Wolverines.

After repeated quarterback changes and a struggling offense, Michigan has finally pulled the plug on offensive coordinator Jason Beck. Whittingham fired Beck on Sunday afternoon, following the program’s 15-6 loss to Michigan State, the school announced Sunday. 

"The results have not matched our desired outcome, and I felt that a change in leadership was required for our offense," Whittingham said in a statement. "We need to put our offensive players and the entire team in the best possible position to be successful."

As one of the highest-paid assistants in the nation, Beck is owed $10.1 million. Firing him mid-season isn't just a sudden schematic shift for the Wolverines, but it results in what is believed to be the largest buyout for an assistant coach in college football history.

Whittingham will begin a national search for the program's next offensive coordinator for next season, but Jim Harding will serve as interim for the remainder of the year. Harding, the Wolverines' offensive line coach, followed Whittingham to Ann Arbor after spending 12 years with the Utes.

Michigan's offensive struggles eventually forced a change at quarterback, benching former five-star and 2025 No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood for backup Tommy Carr. But as the struggles continue, it appears the issue goes far deeper than who is taking the snaps.

Following the Wolverines' loss to the Spartans, Whittingham wouldn't comment on whether Beck would be fired. However, just 24 hours later, he made the decision to move on from him.

Through nine games, the offense has been held below 20 points six times and an inability to push the ball downfield with Underwood or Carr has been impossible to overlook. The Wolverines' average of 19.6 points per game ranks 17th in the Big Ten and 126th nationally.

After replacing former head coach Sheronne Moore, Whittingham stepped into a difficult situation, though few expected it to unravel quite this dramatically. 

It remains unclear whether his job is in immediate jeopardy, but the Wolverines have their final three games to turn things around. The path forward is daunting as they are set to face three top-25 programs: No. 23 Oregon, No. 8 UCLA and No. 12 Ohio State.