Michigan football has something of a crisis on its hands. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck is the highest-paid at his position at any level (including the NFL and college), and yet the offense is among the worst in college football. And head coach Kyle Whittingham's unwillingness to move on from Beck, at least seven games into the season, could cost him his job, per a report.
According to CBS Sports' John Talty, there are multiple current and likely vacancies across the sport, and Michigan very well could be one of them based on what he's hearing. But there are a lot of pieces that still have to fall into place given that Michigan has an incoming president and outgoing athletic director.
A situation that has gotten no media attention yet but is
being whispered about behind the scenes in industry circles is the one in Ann Arbor. Athletic director Warde Manuel is on the way out, and first-year coach Kyle Whittingham was a bridge hire. Could that ultimately be only a one-year bridge? It's too early to go that far, but multiple industry sources believe it is at least possible that Michigan could be back in the head-coaching market for a second consecutive cycle. The 66-year-old Whittingham is 4-3 this season and has lost three of his last four games. With games against Oregon, UCLA and Ohio State still to come, there's a possibility the Wolverines go 6-6 this season.
Is that enough to thrust Michigan back in the coaching market? Sources believe Michigan wants to figure out its athletic director search first -- it has hired Turnkey ZRG to assist -- but aren't ruling out a change at the football coach position, too.
"I think they know this isn't the long term," said one industry source. "It's just do you rip it up after one year?"
Through seven games, Michigan is 4-3, with losses to Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Never in the history of the program has a head coach in Ann Arbor ever lost to Iowa and Minnesota in the same year.
Given that a new AD will want to establish themselves as a champion of the football program, it wouldn't surprise to see them move on from Whittingham as one of their first orders of business, especially if the season continues to head south.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: CBS Sports: Michigan could fire Kyle Whittingham after one season
