Michigan Wolverines’ hopes of retaining Bryce Underwood get a major boost with latest news following Kyle Whittingham hire
Michigan’s new head coach might bring the perfect offensive coordinator with him for Bryce Underwood
The Michigan Wolverines messy search for their head coach to replace Sherrone Moore finally came to its conclusion on Friday as the program is set to hire Kyle Whittingham (long-time Utah head coach).
The process there may not have been great, but Michigan might have a perfect fit to lead their program after all. However, that’s not where the good news ends. The Wolverines could actually retain Bryce Underwood at quarterback if things break the way that it looks they might here soon in Ann Arbor.
Kyle Whittingham might bring his star offensive coordinator with him to Michigan
For those unfamiliar, Kyle Whittingham has put together an incredible run of success as one of the best coaches of this century. He’s won nearly 180 games, led Utah to nine ranked finishes, 11 bowl wins, and multiple Pac-12 Championships. However, his teams have mainly been known for their defenses over the years, not so much the offense. That’s a great culture fit given Michigan’s approach to the game, but perhaps not so much when it comes to trying to retain star quarterback Bryce Underwood.
The good news? According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports (among other sources), Whittingham’s up and coming star offensive coordinator Jason Beck might be coming with him to Michigan. Many of Whittingham’s former offensive coordinators wouldn’t necessarily be a big selling point for quarterbacks. Beck should be.
Why Jason Beck could convince Bryce Underwood to stay with Michigan
For those unfamiliar with Jason Beck, he hasn’t had the longest track record of being an offensive coordinator, but his limited body of work is impressive. Beck started off by turning Garrett Shrader into far more than just a running threat at Syracuse back in 2023. Then he got to New Mexico and helped turned their middling offense into a top 25 unit in the entire country with Devon Dampier at quarterback there.
This past season was Beck’s most impressive work. He helped Utah completely turn around their 102nd ranked offense from the previous year, getting them all the way up to the fifth most points scored per game in the nation (41.1 per contest this season). His quarterback, Dampier, took a huge leap forward as a passer too, tossing 22 passing touchdowns to just five interceptions, adding nearly 700 rushing yards on the ground.
It’s that kind of tantalizing offensive success and quarterback development that might just be good enough to keep Bryce Underwood home with the Michigan Wolverines this offseason. Beck turned a middling passer who threw more interceptions than touchdowns into one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country (Devon Dampier). He turned back to back offenses completely around, making them some of the best in the nation in just one season of work at both New Mexico and Utah. That’s hope that Underwood can believe in. And if Michigan is honest with themselves, a Whittingham/Beck combination likely gives them a better chance in retaining Underwood than Sherrone Moore and Chip Lindsey ever had given their lackluster track records.
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Michigan Wolverines News
Despite poor process, the Michigan Wolverines may have lucked their way into the right hire all along to replace Sherrone Moore
The Michigan Wolverines finally have their next head coach in former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham
