The Tim Beck Experiment in Columbus is over.
The co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach is headed to Texas to work for Tom Herman as the Longhorns' next offensive coordinator. Chip Brown of Horns Digest first reported the news.
Beck named offensive coordinator at Texas #HookEm https://t.co/XS1HjGupyY pic.twitter.com/a6TWVxuxAA
— Texas Football (@Longhorn_FB) January 3, 2017
Beck came to Columbus via Nebraska, stepping in for Herman after the latter left to become the head coach at Houston. He coached in Lincoln for five seasons before signing with the Buckeyes in January 2015.
Beck signed a two-year deal then, which is set to expire on April 30. He made more than $604,000 this season—Ohio State's third-highest paid assistant—according to the USA TODAY coaches database.
Under Beck's supervision, Ohio State's passing game finished 12th and sixth in the Big Ten in yards per game the last two years. The issues during the 2015 season could be more chalked up to the ongoing quarterback battle between J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones, however. And even though Barrett won the 2016 Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year Award in addition to the Silver Football as Big Ten Most Valuable Player (with Penn State's Saquon Barkley), his regression the last two seasons has been palpable.
Barrett's completion percentage fell multiple points in both 2015 and 2016 in addition to his yards per attempt. Beck said after the Fiesta Bowl loss that he felt more confident with how he coached this season, saying he understood the intricacies and concepts in the offense better. Still, Barrett only threw for 127 yards and two interceptions in the loss to the Tigers, leaving Beck unsure he would be back in 2017.
“I don't know. That's Coach Meyer's decision,” Beck said on Saturday. “I worked really hard and feel good about it. We didn't finish the way we wanted to, obviously.”
Turns out, Beck is moving on. Beck becomes the first Ohio State assistant to take a college non-head coaching gig.
