Kyle Whittingham's first season as Michigan's head coach has not gone the way fans were hoping when he was hired to replace fired head coach Sherrone Moore. Coming over from Utah with years and years of experience, there was hope that Whittingham would bring stability to a chaotic football program, but instead, it's been even more of a mess.
While it is still too soon to make a full decision on whether Whittingham should be kept or let go at the end of the season, it never hurts to know how much it could cost Michigan if they choose the latter. The Wolverines would have a hefty buyout on their hands, especially if Whittingham truly is a one-and-done coach.
Michigan would pay a pretty penny if they part ways with Kyle Whittingham
When Whittingham was hired at Michigan, he signed a five-year, $41 million base salary deal with the possibility of incentives and raises. Whittingham is set to make $8 million in this first season, with his salary set to increase by $100,000 each year until it reaches $8.4 million by 2031.
Now, if Whittingham is fired without cause, he is owed 75% of his salary, so as of right now, his buyout stands at $25.8 million. That is a pretty hefty buyout for the Wolverines, especially after Whittingham was just hired back at the beginning of the year.
The good news for Michigan is that they aren't paying any other buyouts to former coaches. Moore was fired for cause, and former head basketball coach Dusty May left for the NBA on his own. So, if Michigan wanted to pay the buyout, they probably have the money to do so.
Each year that Michigan waits to part ways with Whittingham, the buyout will be lower, which is what some schools like Florida State are doing. However, Michigan may not want to wait and run the risk of the football program getting worse.
What is OC Jason Beck's buyout at Michigan?
Whittingham honestly hasn't been the biggest problem for the Wolverines. Actually, many would argue that it is offensive coordinator Jason Beck who is the problem behind Michigan's offensive woes, and they aren't really wrong.
When Michigan hired Beck, he signed a staggering three-year, $9 million contract, earning an average of $3 million a year. When it comes to firing coordinators, they don't always have buyouts like the ones in place for head coaches. If Beck were poached, there would be a buyout he, or the team he goes to, would have to pay.
If Michigan were to let Beck go before his three-year deal is over, the Wolverines would most likely owe him the rest of the money left on his contract. So, firing Beck wouldn't be cheap, but it would be a lot less expensive than paying Whittingham's buyout.
Maybe Michigan will see that Beck was the real problem and test letting him go first and give Whittingham a short leash next season. That would help with his buyout in terms of the numbers, and if the Wolverines still aren't performing, then a conversation could be had about finding a new head coach.
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