Jason Beck, Four Other Key Utah Coaches Are Heading To Ann Arbor
Jan 1, 2026, 12:05 PM | Updated: Jan 2, 2026, 11:05 am
Jason Beck photo courtesy of Utah Athletics.
Las Vegas, NV. — Kyle Whittingham’s seismic move to become the Michigan Wolverines football head coach has already reshaped college football; now four trusted Utah assistants will follow him to Ann Arbor as well.
Offensive coordinator Jason Beck, quarterbacks assistant coach Koy Detmer Jr., wide receivers coach Micah Simon, tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham, and offensive line coach Jim Harding will all join the Michigan program. BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill will also be a part of Whittingham’s new staff.
Less than a week after Michigan officially hired Whittingham — the winningest coach in Utah history who tallied 177 victories over 21 seasons — the Wolverines are stacking the staff with familiar faces from his final year at the Utes.
Jason Beck, Michigan’s newest offensive coordinator
Whittingham’s offensive coordinator at Utah in 2025 and a key reason the Utes finished with one of the nation’s most efficient offenses. Beck’s spread system propelled Utah to an 11-2 season and a Las Vegas Bowl win thanks to explosive plays and balanced production, blending a high-tempo passing game with tough, complementary runs.
Sources: Utah OC Jason Beck has informed Utah officials that he's taking the offensive coordinator job at Michigan.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 1, 2026
Beck’s résumé includes stops at Syracuse, New Mexico and Virginia, but his stock soared after his Utah offensive unit finished top-five nationally in scoring and paced Big 12 play in multiple metrics last season. Michigan now hopes Beck’s scheme — aggressive on RPO, quarterback friendly and adaptable — will blend with Whittingham’s conservative leadership, creating a balanced yet dynamic attack in the Big Ten.
Koy Detmer Jr.: QB coach
Michigan’s projected quarterbacks coach. Detmer, the son of former NFL QB Koy Detmer, has worked alongside Beck as an analyst and quarterback coach in Syracuse, New Mexico and Utah, emphasizing mechanics, timing and system fluency.
In Ann Arbor, Detmer’s early task will be refining quarterback Bryce Underwood’s decision-making. That continuity — pairing Beck’s system design with a coach who has tutored quarterbacks through his entire career arc — minimizes acclimation lag that often hobbles new staffs.
Micah Simon: WR coach
Simon set to take over as Michigan’s wide receivers coach. At just 28, Simon has already built a reputation for wideout development, having helped receivers like Utah’s Ryan Davis achieve breakout seasons and previously coached All-Mountain West talent at New Mexico.
Simon’s ability to teach route nuance, leverage coverage and harmonize wideouts with play-design concepts is key in Beck’s scheme, where decision-makers must exploit matchups across the formation. His youth and energy also add a developmental spark to a position group that’s transitioning leadership after recent departures.
Freddie Whittingham: TE coach
No surprise — but still notable — is the hire of Kyle’s younger brother, who will coach tight ends and contribute on the recruiting trail. Freddie’s résumé is built on years of position development and player trust; at Utah he coached future NFL talent and consistent pass-catching contributors.
Under his direction, Utah’s tight ends were not only reliable blockers but also a significant receiving outlet — a dual role that meshes with Michigan’s pro-style traditions and Whittingham’s preference for position versatility. Bringing Freddie also signals Whittingham’s loyalty to people he trusts implicitly, a quality that resonated with Michigan’s leadership amid its recent coaching upheaval.
Sources: BYU DC Jay Hill has officially agreed to become Michigan’s defensive coordinator. He’d been Kyle Whittingham’s target since he took over at Michigan.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 1, 2026
Jim Harding: O-Line coach
One of the most meaningful staff moves for Whittingham isn’t on offense’s schematic side — it’s in the trenches.
Veteran offensive line coach and assistant head coach Jim Harding is officially joining Michigan’s staff under new head coach Kyle Whittingham, taking on the role of offensive line coach and assistant head coach in Ann Arbor. Harding’s addition isn’t a peripheral hire — it’s a foundational one.
Harding spent 12 seasons with Utah’s offensive line room, where his continuity and development track record helped turn a previously inconsistent unit into a national standard.
Lewis Powell: D-Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator
In his 11 seasons at Utah, Powell helped develop six NFL draft picks and eight players who ultimately played in the NFL.
Wow, this is a genuine surprise. The talk Monday and Tuesday was Powell was staying at Utah https://t.co/BcfgyCMTSR
— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) January 1, 2026
He began his Utah coaching career as the tight ends coach in 2015, then shifted to defense the following year.
What This Means for Morgan Scalley and Utah
Morgan Scalley now steps into the full-time head job sooner than expected. The losses of Beck, Detmer, Simon, Freddie Whittingham, and potentially Harding create a genuine identity gap.
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Offensive philosophy: Without Beck’s system, Utah will need a new blueprint. Scalley must decide whether to keep runs of Beck’s innovation or pivot to a different scheme that fits his own strategic DNA.
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Recruiting continuity: Assistants like Simon and Detmer were key pitches on the trail. Their departures open recruiting doors for competitors — and put pressure on Utah to show stability.
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Staff construction: Scalley will be reassembling much of the offensive staff — a challenge that will test his managerial and evaluative instincts. But it’s also an opportunity to define his era.
Here’s the crucial point: Scalley’s success will hinge on how he responds to this churn. He inherits a defense with strong bones and a roster with talent, but how he reorients the offense — and whose voices he surrounds himself with — will determine if Utah remains a contender or becomes a rebuild project in the Big 12.
