Jim Harbaugh Reacts to Suspension

The University of Michigan has opted to self-impose a three-game ban on Head Coach Jim Harbaugh for allegedly lying to NCAA investigators about a violation. He faces a Level One Violation against NCAA rules, in a case that likely won’t be settled until 2024.

Harbaugh said in a recent press conference that what some may call a slap on the wrist feels like “a baseball bat to the kneecap”.  The hope from Michigan is that this three-game ban will soften the disciplinary action taken from the NCAA after their ruling.

Harbaugh has been Michigan’s football program head coach since 2015, having coached the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl against his older brother John in 2012. He played in the NFL for 20 seasons before retiring as a player in 2001. He has been awarded the NFL Coach of the Year in 2011, AP College Football Coach of the Year in 2021, and recently the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2022.

Though he will coach again this season, the punishment may only get worse.