Michigan fired Jason Beck on Sunday after the Wolverines suffered an embarrassing 15-6 loss to Michigan State on Saturday. Beck's time in Ann Arbor lasted nine games and fans have been pushing to see Beck out the door for weeks now.

Kyle Whittingham, on Saturday night, said he wasn't ready to make a move like that, but would evaluate after the season. Everyone knows Whittingham is under a lot of pressure himself, and it was apparent that a move needed to be made.

With three games left in the season, Whittingham named offensive line coach Jim Harding the Wolverines' interim offensive coordinator. In a statement, he said a national search would be conducted to find Michigan's next offensive coordinator.

Michigan will pay Jason Beck a hefty buy-out, but the Wolverines need to get the next hire right — regardless if Whittingham is the head coach or not. For argument's sake, assuming Whittingham sticks in Ann Arbor for the 2027 season, here are four names he should target.

Chip Kelly - Northwestern OC

It's clear that Chip Kelly doesn't want to become a head coach again and is happy coordinating offenses. He's done magic with Northwestern this season, since taking over the position under David Braun. The Wildcats have caught life, and have the No. 38 total offense in the nation.

Northwestern runs the ball great and averages 190 yards per game on the ground. Even Aidan Chiles, who Michigan State ran off, has turned his career around under Kelly. He has just one interception and Northwestern averages 231 yards per game through the air.

Kelly was the head coach at Oregon and UCLA, while being the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Sure, he coached at the Buckeyes, but so did Tony Alford and Kerry Coombs. Kelly would be a home-run hire for Kyle Whittingham and someone who has real proven success.

Marcus Arroyo - Arizona State OC

Another intriguing option, and someone Kyle Whittingham knew from his days in the Big 12, is Marcus Arroyo. He was someone I had hoped Sherrone Moore would've hired before he landed Chip Lindsey in 2025.

Arroyo has been under Kenny Dillingham since 2024 and the Sun Devils have had a great offense under the duo. This season, Arizona State has taken a step back, but they've had quarterback injuries and that can be challenging.

ASU has the 67th-ranked offense this season. But had the 30th-ranked offense in 2025 and 28th in 2024. Arroyo has learned a lot from Dillingham, a great offensive mind, and could come to Ann Arbor to run the show. For Michigan, a team that prides itself on running the ball, Arroyo's team has struggled this season, but ranked 27th in 2025 and 20th in 2024 on the ground.

Aaron Roderick - BYU OC

Kyle Whittingham plucked Jay Hill from BYU and the Wolverines have the No. 4 offense in the nation after nine games. Why not go the same route for the offense? And there is familiarity between the two. While Roderick has been at BYU since 2017, he coached under Whittingham at Utah from 2005-2016.

Roderick is real familiar with Whittingham and was the Utes' quarterback coach in 2014. He was promoted to Co-Offensive Coordinator in 2015, where held the position for two seasons. Roderick was named the offensive coordinator of BYU in 2021.

BYU has had a top-60 offense since 2023 and the Cougars are very balanced. BYU has the 51st-ranked rushing attack this season, and in 2025, it was at No. 40. LJ Martin is among the best backs in the Big 12 and Roderick would bring more of a power attack to Ann Arbor.

Dean Kennedy - UCLA OC

This could be a two-for-one if Kyle Whittingham isn't brought back for another season. Everyone is going to want Bob Chesney to become their new head coach after what he did at James Madison and is currently doing at UCLA.

But if you can't get Chesney, and Whittingham remains at Michigan, why not go get the offensive coordinator? This won't be an easy pry, as Dean Kennedy came to the Bruins with Chesney from James Madison.

However, it is Michigan and it's a bigger brand than UCLA. The Bruins love running the football under Kennedy and have the No. 14 rushing attack. This would be a home run higher and, someone who has proven success in the Big Ten.