{
  "id": 19047399,
  "title": "Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham fires embattled offensive coordinator Jason Beck",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/michigan-coach-kyle-whittingham-fires-embattled-offensive-coordinator",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-08T23:54:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/michigan-coach-kyle-whittingham-fires-235433186.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham has dismissed offensive coordinator Jason Beck following a disappointing season. In a statement, Whittingham stated that \"the results have not matched our desired outcome\" and that a change in leadership was necessary for the offense. He appointed Jim Harding, the team's offensive line coach and assistant head coach, as interim offensive coordinator for the remainder of the season. Harding has worked with Whittingham for 12 seasons at Utah, including two years as co-offensive coordinator. The Wolverines, who began the season ranked No. 16 in the AP Top 25, have struggled with a lackluster offense, shaky special teams, and a solid but inconsistent defense. Michigan faces tough road games against Oregon and Ohio State, as well as a home game against UCLA, and may miss out on a bowl bid. Despite Beck's success at Utah, where he helped the team rank highly in rushing, total offense, and scoring offense, Michigan's offense has fallen short of expectations, ranking poorly in several key categories under Beck. Whittingham praised Beck's hard work and dedication to the program but acknowledged that the results were not satisfactory. Following a loss to Minnesota, where quarterback Bryce Underwood underperformed, tight end Zach Marshall criticized Beck in leaked text messages, though he later apologized. Michigan's quarterback situation, which Beck managed, drew attention when a highly recruited player was benched in favor of a backup. Carr, whose grandfathers are College Hall of Famers and whose brother plays for Notre Dame, filled in for Underwood in a win against Penn State, but the team's offensive struggles persisted.",
  "summary": "(AP) — Kyle Whittingham has made his first major move as Michigan's coach, firing embattled offensive coordinator Jason Beck.“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 Sunday night.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}