Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh used his platform Thursday evening to advocate for a change in college athletics. He chose not to give straight answers to reporters asking him about the NCAA’s findings that he was responsible for impermissible recruiting at Michigan during the COVID-19 dead period.
Last weekend, a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel dropped a report on a draft of the NCAA’s investigation into a sign-stealing scandal involving Connor Stalions. Harbaugh and current Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore face violations related to the scandal.
This week, Harbaugh denied any involvement in the scandal, saying that while he wasn’t a perfect person, he didn’t lie or cheat.
However, he does omit.
The NCAA punished Jim Harbaugh for not cooperating
Much of the NCAA’s agitation with Harbaugh is his refusal to cooperate with the NCAA in investigations. This week, the NCAA announced they were slapping the NFL head coach with a four-year “show-cause” order, with a one-year suspension should he be rehired at the NCAA level in relation to impermissible recruiting during the COVID-19 dead period.
Harbaugh and his staff allegedly fed recruits during their visit to Michigan and offered tours of their facility when it wasn’t okay for the program to do so.
Harbaugh is using his job with the Los Angeles Chargers to advocate
Per Kris Rhim of ESPN, Harbaugh was asked about the NCAA’s ruling about the COVID-19 dead period recruiting. He chose to deflect:
“I’m stopping the engagement there with commenting,” Harbaugh said. “But my only hope is that one day college athletics will be about what’s best for young men and young women who participate in it. That’s really all I’ve got to say about it.”
Harbaugh chose not to deny the NCAA’s findings, at least in his answers to reporters on Thursday. Instead, Harbaugh advocated for a better system at the college level that is more favorable to athletes.
Harbaugh might be right on the issue. Maybe it’s a stupid rule that he can’t feed hamburgers to recruits during certain times of the year, but that doesn’t mean it was okay for him to break the rules.
Michigan broke rules other teams wouldn’t
Per Austin Meek of The Athletic, a former recruit said Michigan went out its way to break rules that other schools wouldn’t:
According to the father of Player 2, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the NCAA investigation, they had come to Ann Arbor for a self-guided tour.
At other stops, coaches told them where to pick up a campus map but had no in-person contact. At Michigan, there was a meal the day they arrived, breakfast the next morning, then a tour of the football facility. None of which was permitted.
As I’ll address later, Michigan’s approach to the recruiting process wasn’t a victimless crime. It hurt students athletes and their families.
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