Michigan’s season is spiraling into disaster. The Wolverines boast one of the nation’s worst offenses, and a humiliating rivalry loss to Michigan State has only deepened the crisis in Ann Arbor. With three brutal games remaining, the pressure is mounting, and head coach Kyle Whittingham’s future is now under serious scrutiny.
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The latest setback came in a 15-6 home loss to Michigan State, leaving the team at 5-4 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play. Head coach Kyle Whittingham responded by dismissing offensive coordinator Jason Beck on Sunday, November 8, despite saying less than a day earlier that he would wait until the end of the season before making staff changes. But the coaching decision has not stopped the conversation about Whittingham’s own future.
“I think Kyle Whittingham will step down,” said senior writer Ralph Russo of The Athletic on The Audible, while discussing whether Michigan could move on from Whittingham after just one season.
The coach reportedly has a buyout worth around $24.75 million, or 75% of the money remaining on his contract. Russo questioned whether Michigan would be willing to pay that amount and whether Whittingham would consider leaving on his own.
The prediction comes as Michigan deals with uncertainty in its athletic department and a difficult decision about the direction of its football program. The reported buyout could make a coaching change expensive, while the remaining schedule gives the Wolverines little time to put their season back on track.
Bruce Feldman also discussed the situation on the show, focusing on how little progress Michigan has made on offense. Beck arrived in Ann Arbor with Whittingham and was reportedly the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football, earning $3 million a year. Yet the unit continued to struggle, regardless of who was playing quarterback.
Feldman pointed out that Michigan went more than 58 minutes without scoring against Michigan State. He also noted that the Spartans had not been particularly strong on defense this season, making the Wolverines’ performance even more difficult to explain.
“It’s been a disaster, though,” Feldman said while discussing how the coaching change had unfolded.
Michigan’s numbers reflect those concerns. Through nine games, the Wolverines rank No. 132 nationally in total offense and No. 109 in rushing. Their struggles have also continued through changes at quarterback, with neither Bryce Underwood nor Tommy Carr able to provide consistent production.
Whittingham has now turned to Jim Harding as interim offensive coordinator for the rest of the regular season. Harding, who also serves as Michigan’s offensive line coach and assistant head coach, worked with Whittingham for 12 seasons at Utah, including two years as co-offensive coordinator.
Stewart Mandel offered another perspective on the situation, explaining that Whittingham’s appointment initially made sense after Sherrone Moore’s departure. Michigan needed an experienced coach who could take charge during a difficult period. However, Mandel said concerns about the fit had appeared early.
“Something has seemed off right from the beginning,” Mandel said. “Sometimes it’s just a bad fit.”
He also brought up Whittingham’s earlier comments about the Ohio State rivalry. Those remarks did not attract the same attention at the time, but Mandel suggested they have taken on a different meaning as Michigan’s season has unfolded.
He also compared Whittingham’s presence on the sideline at Michigan with the more involved approach he had seen during the coach’s time at Utah.
Mandel’s comments add to the questions surrounding how Whittingham has settled into the job, especially with Michigan still dealing with changes in its leadership structure.
Whittingham’s immediate task is to finish the season, and the schedule offers little room for error. Michigan still has games against No. 18 Oregon, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 21 Ohio State. The Wolverines will need to improve on both sides of the ball if they want to avoid further setbacks.
For now, Whittingham remains Michigan’s head coach, and the school has not announced any decision about his position. The dismissal of Beck is one change the program has already made. Whether it leads to a longer reset remains uncertain, but comments from college football insiders show that Whittingham’s future is now part of the conversation.