There’s no denying that the Michigan offense is an unmitigated disaster. The Wolverines rank 130th in the country (out of 138) in yards per game, 127th in passing, and 119th in scoring. For any Power 4 school that is considered bad. For a program with CFP aspirations, that is devastatingly bad offense. With offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s job scalding hot in the court of public opinion, Kyle Whittingham refused to make any rash decisions this past week, even going so far as to say that now is no time
to panic.
Will Whittingham’s loyalty to Beck cost him his own job?
Kyle Whittingham was always viewed as a bridge coach. Many expected him to be in Ann Arbor for five or so years in hopes of winning a national championship before he rides off into the sunset. When it comes to coordinator hires, he hit a grand slam in defensive coordinator Jay Hill while also striking out on three pitches with Jason Beck. While it’s rare for coaches to fire coordinators mid-season, and even more rare to do so in their first season, these have proven to be extenuating circumstances.
You may be asking yourself, “What are those extenuating circumstances?” Simply put: Beck’s offensive install at Michigan could not have gone worse. Michigan doesn’t have a quarterback on the roster capable of running Beck’s offense. The offensive line, made up of largely players who had modest success in 2025, has regressed severely in 2026 and isn’t capable of blocking standard plays. Beck also insists on using a Rhino (read: sixth offensive lineman) rather than tight ends, leading to a frustrated position group and a suspension of Zach Marshall.
I also saved the best for last: Beck’s play-calling has been outlandishly bad. The Wolverines have players in motion nearly every play, making it blindingly obvious when the ball will be snapped. They also refuse to run the ball between the tackles, even in short yardage situations. Last Saturday’s 3rd-and-goal from well within a yard where Beck called a play-action pass to the Rhino may well have been the worst play call in Michigan football history. Seriously. Try to name another that is worse.
It’s impossible to envision a world where Beck gets this turned around in Ann Arbor any time in the near future, so the purpose of this article isn’t to discuss his job security. Instead, we want to know if Kyle Whittingham’s refusal (as of yet) to fire Jason Beck could instead doom Whittingham’s own job security.
While the 2026 season started shakily, most Michigan fans (myself included) were willing to be patient with Whittingham. Under a lame-duck athletic director in Warde Manuel it was highly doubtful that any move will be made after just one season anyways. However, the entire fan base has turned on Jason Beck. The longer Whittingham continues to employ Beck, the more and more goodwill that Whittingham will lose.
Michigan even appeared on a list of potential job openings for the upcoming coaching carousel according to CBS.
The chances of Kyle Whittingham getting fired before the end of the 2026 season are next to zero. However, if Whittingham attempts to bring Beck back for the 2027 season, the public narrative could become untenable.
In the comments below, let us know where you’re at with Kyle Whittingham as of today. Should he be on the hot seat? Is he already there? Should Whittingham fire Jason Beck at the end of the season or as soon as possible? If Whittingham made the change, who would you want calling plays?
