Jason Beck was fired as Michigan offensive coordinator on Sunday, less than a day after the Wolverines lost 15-6 to Michigan State at Michigan Stadium. Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham announced the move in a statement on Sunday evening, and offensive line coach Jim Harding will serve as interim offensive coordinator for the rest of the regular season. Jason Beck had held the job for nine games, and his departure followed the worst offensive showing of a season in which Michigan has struggled to score.
Michigan managed 192 yards against Michigan State and turned the ball over four times. The offence run by Jason Beck did not score until 1 minute 35 seconds remained in the fourth quarter, and the Wolverines were held scoreless for the first 58 minutes of the game. Michigan State entered the game winless in Big Ten play, and the loss dropped Michigan to 5-4 for the season and 2-4 in the conference.
Whittingham said the change was needed because of results. “The results have not matched our desired outcome, and I felt that a change in leadership was required for our offense,” he said in the statement. Whittingham added that he will conduct a national search for the next offensive coordinator, and he thanked Beck for his work with the programme.
Jason Beck and the numbers behind the firing
The numbers behind the firing of Jason Beck were stark. Michigan ranks 132nd out of 138 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offence, at 302.6 yards per game, and 17th out of 18 Big Ten teams. The Wolverines have scored fewer than 20 points six times this season, and they failed to pass 21 points for the fifth time since Big Ten play began.
Saturday was the second time in three games that Michigan scored only six points. The offence also ranks 126th in points per game, 109th in rushing offence and 125th in passing offence, according to figures published after the game. Beck was brought in to improve an attack built around five star quarterback Bryce Underwood, who earns about 3 million dollars a year, but the pairing never took hold.
Jason Beck arrived in Ann Arbor with Whittingham in January, after one season as offensive coordinator at Utah in 2025. He was named the top coordinator hire of the 2026 cycle by CBS Sports, and his three year contract paid him an average of more than 3 million dollars a year, making him the highest paid offensive coordinator in college football.
Jason Beck and the buyout Michigan owes
Michigan will owe Jason Beck a large sum under the terms of his contract. Beck signed a three year deal worth 9.15 million dollars, plus a 1.74 million dollar signing bonus, and the contract says Michigan owes him the full value of the deal if he is dismissed without cause. ESPN reported that the total owed could reach 10.1 million dollars in salary and retention bonuses, which would be the largest buyout for an assistant coach.
The buyout will fall if Beck takes another job, since his new salary will offset what Michigan owes. That detail matters for a programme that has now paid heavily for a hire that lasted nine games. Whittingham brought Beck from Utah and made him the highest paid coordinator in the country, and the move has now cost the programme both money and a season of offensive progress.
What comes next for Michigan
Harding takes over an offence that has to find points fast. He came to Michigan with Whittingham, like Beck, and he will call the plays for the rest of the regular season while Whittingham searches for a permanent replacement. The search will run into 2027, and the new coordinator will inherit Underwood and an attack that needs a rebuild.
Whittingham had said after the Michigan State game that he did not plan to make a coaching change during the season. He changed his mind within a day. Jason Beck leaves Michigan after nine games, and the Wolverines now have to salvage a season that has slipped to 5-4.