Former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week that he doesn’t lie or cheat to gain an advantage on the football field. The NCAA disagreed with Harbaugh’s self-analysis in a report they released on Wednesday when they punished the current Los Angeles Chargers head coach.
Earlier this week, Harbaugh answered reporters’ questions about the sign-stealing scandal. Over the weekend, the NCAA released a draft stating that current Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore and Harbaugh could face punishment for the investigation.
The NCAA is punishing Jim Harbaugh
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On Wednesday, the NCAA announced they were punishing Harbaugh for another case. The NCAA found Michigan violated recruiting rules during the Covid dead period:
A Division I Committee on Infractions panel determined former Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh violated recruiting and inducement rules, engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations, resulting in a four-year show-cause order.
The committee found Michigan had impermissible recruiting contacts during the COVID-19 dead period. The NCAA slammed Harbaugh for refusing to participate in a hearing before the committee and wrote that Harbaugh’s denial of his involvement in the recruiting scandal did not match what was “overwhelmingly” supported by their records.
Harbaugh gave “false or misleading information”
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The recruiting violation was a Level II infraction, but the NCAA bumped the punishment to a Level I infraction because he gave “false or misleading information” during the investigation. The NCAA is giving Harbaugh a four-year show-cause order. He faces a one-season suspension if he returns to college football:
The panel noted that Harbaugh’s intentional disregard for NCAA legislation and unethical conduct amplified the severity of the case and prompted the panel to classify Harbaugh’s case as Level I-Aggravated, with penalties to include a four-year show-cause order. Subsumed in the show-cause order is a one-season suspension for Harbaugh.
During the show-cause order, Harbaugh would be barred from all athletically related activities, including team travel, practice, video study, recruiting and team meetings, at any NCAA school that employed him. Additionally, if hired during the show-cause order, Harbaugh would be suspended for 100 percent of the first season of employment. The results of those contests during Harbaugh’s suspension would not count toward his career coaching record.
The former Michigan head coach could face punishment in the NFL
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It’s unclear if the NFL will suspend Harbaugh for these infractions. The league has stated it doesn’t plan to make Harbaugh’s employment in the NFL a “safe harbor” from punishment. The league suspended Jim Tressel for six games in 2011 for his infractions at Ohio State.
Harbaugh still faces more potential punishment from the NCAA regarding the sign-stealing scandal.
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