cbssports
Michigan announced on Sunday that offensive coordinator Jason Beck has been relieved of his duties, a day after the Wolverines suffered a 15-6 defeat to Michigan State in which they mustered just 192 total offensive yards. Offensive line coach Jim Harding will take over as interim offensive coordinator for the rest of the season.
Beck, who was the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the country, joined head coach Kyle Whittingham in Ann Arbor after a successful stint together at Utah last season. However, that success did not carry over to Michigan, which is 5-4 and among the most disappointing teams in the nation. The loss to the Spartans proved to be the tipping point.
"The results have not matched our desired outcome, and I felt that a change in leadership was required for our offense," Whittingham said on Sunday. "We need to put our offensive players and the entire team in the best possible position to be successful. We appreciate the hard work and effort that Jason has dedicated to the program. Jason is a great man and coach, and unfortunately, it did not work out the way that we wanted it to at Michigan. We wish Jason and his family nothing but the best in the future."
Michigan had already made a change at quarterback earlier in the season, benching highly paid former five-star Bryce Underwood in favor of freshman Tommy Carr. Despite the switch, the offense never found its rhythm, ranking 125th in passing offense, 126th in scoring offense, and 132nd in total offense out of 138 FBS teams.
Beck's dismissal comes with a substantial financial consequence for Michigan. The Wolverines will owe Beck as much as $10.2 million to buy out a three-year contract that paid him $2.8 million this season and was set to increase to more than $3 million in each of the next two seasons. It could be the most expensive buyout for an assistant coach ever, though it is subject to offset mitigation.
Pressure had been mounting on Whittingham to make a move as the offense continued to struggle. The criticism grew especially loud after a 13-6 loss to Indiana in which Michigan managed only 57 rushing yards on 42 carries. The Wolverines had one of the nation's most expensive rosters, sources told CBS Sports, with particularly heavy investment on the offensive side of the ball. However, Beck was never able to integrate the pieces he acquired into the system he wanted to run.
It remains to be seen whether the change provides a spark for an offense in desperate need of one. As CBS Sports has reported, Whittingham's job security could also be in question. Michigan is in the midst of an athletic director search to replace outgoing AD Warde Manuel and would like to find its next leader before deciding on Whittingham, according to sources. But it is not out of the realm of possibilities that Whittingham could be one-and-done in Ann Arbor, especially if he continues to lose games.
"I think they know this isn't the long term," one industry source told CBS Sports. "It's just, do you rip it up after one year?"
Originally reported by cbssports.