Utah Football hires Jason Beck as offensive coordinator

SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah Football Head Coach Kyle Whittingham today announced the hiring of Jason Beck as the Utes’ new offensive coordinator. Beck brings 16 years of FBS coaching experience to Salt Lake City.

Beck comes to Utah after spending last season as offensive coordinator for the New Mexico Lobos. Under his leadership, the New Mexico offense finished the 2024 season ranked first in the Mountain West in red zone offense and total offense and ranked fourth in the FBS with 484.3 yards per game.

In 2024, the Lobos also ranked second in the Mountain West and fifth in the FBS in rushing offense (253.6), while leading the league and ranking fourth nationally in first downs offense (298). ).

He also served as New Mexico’s quarterbacks coach in 2024, helping Devon Dampier finish the season ranked No. 1 in the league and No. 12 in the FBS (188 points) while finishing second in the Mountain West in total yards (2,768). .

Prior to his time in Albuquerque, Beck spent two seasons (2022-23) at Syracuse, where he served as quarterbacks coach both years and was also promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023. Although the Orange were plagued by injuries in 2023, he coached an offense that featured LeQuint Allen to have a 1,000-yard rusher, with the program setting a single-game record for total offense in a season opener (677) and most rushing Syracuse’s total yards in Week 10 since 1996 (392).

During his time at quarterback in 2022, he watched Syracuse’s pass efficiency rating rise from 108th in the FBS in 2021 to 40th nationally and fourth in the ACC in one season. The Orange also finished the 2022 season ranked second in the ACC in red zone offense and seventh in passing offense.

Before leading the Orange’s quarterback room, Beck coached the QBs at Virginia from 2016-21. The Cavaliers have had only three quarterbacks throw for 20-plus touchdowns in multiple seasons, with all six of those campaigns coinciding with Beck’s tenure and playing a key role in Virginia becoming bowl-eligible over the past five seasons.

Its quarterback, Bryce Perkins, tied the program’s then-career record in total offense (7,910) in just two seasons and also ranked first in total offense in a season and a game. This season, Perkins ranked No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in the ACC in total offense (4,307) and set UVA’s single-season passing record with 3,538 yards in 2019.

During his time at Virginia, he also coached Brennan Armstrong and Kurt Benkert, helping Armstrong lead the Cavaliers to the No. 2 passing offense in the FBS in 2021. Benkert finished his two-year career at Virginia with 5,759 passing yards and 46 career touchdowns.

Beck’s first full-time job as an FBS coach was at his alma mater, BYU, from 2013 to 2015, where he coached the quarterbacks – particularly Taysom Hill. In 2015, he also coached freshman Tanner Magnum to become the only freshman quarterback in the country to throw for more than 3,000 yards and post a completion rate above 60 percent.

Prior to coaching at Provo, Beck spent the 2012 season as offensive coordinator at Simon Fraser after spending three seasons at Weber State as quarterbacks coach. At Weber State, quarterback Cameron Higgins set school records for passing yards, pass completions and pass efficiency rating under his leadership, completing his career as one of the most productive players in Big Sky history.

Beck began his coaching career as an intern for BYU in 2007 under Bronco Mendenhall and also spent a season at LSU in 2008 under Les Miles.

Beck played quarterback at BYU from 2004 to 2006 after transferring from College of the Canyons (2003) and Ventura College (2002). He earned his degree in communications from BYU in 2006 and also received a master’s degree in 2011.