Jim Harbaugh Gets Suspended, and His Reaction is Priceless
Former Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh is being punished by the NCAA for allegedly violating his head-coach obligations during his time with the Wolverines. The NCAA sent out the official verdict on Wednesday (Aug. 7), stating that Harbaugh “violated recruiting and inducement rules, engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations.” In turn, they’re serving him with a four-year show-cause order and one-year suspension.
Jim Harbaugh Gets Suspended
In the NCAA’s lengthy public decision from the Division I Committee on Infractions, they stated Harbaugh neglected to “meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation.” According to the document, the show-cause order lasts from Aug. 7, 2024, through Aug. 6, 2028, and if Harbaugh is hired during this period, he would be suspended for the entire first season that he’s at his new college.
Of course, Harbaugh doesn’t have to worry about this show-cause order. He’s the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, so he won’t be getting hired in the college realm anytime soon. Harbaugh left Michigan in January after nine years there and following the team’s 2023 national championship win. So, he won’t be back, but if he did come back to college football during this show-cause order, he would be “barred from all athletically related activities, including team travel, practice, video study, recruiting and team meetings.” Harbaugh is allowed to appeal the decision based on NCAA bylaws, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he does, because he has been stern in claiming that he’s totally innocent.
I watched Harbaugh speak to the press about the NCAA allegations during a recent Chargers news conference. I’ve never seen so much passion in this guy’s voice. It’s a head-scratcher, because the NCAA wouldn’t be serving Harbaugh with this serious penalty if they didn’t have real evidence. But, he continues to deny any wrongdoing or even knowing anything was happening.
Here’s where Harbaugh’s reaction to the NCAA allegations is priceless.
“Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal,” Jim Harbaugh said during the conference. “I was raised with that lesson. I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams I’ve coached. No one’s perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and you make it right. Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate, was not aware nor complicit in those said allegations. So, it’s back to work and attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”
On ESPN’s Get Up, Paul Finebaum said of the Jim Harbaugh response, “It’s an Oscar-winning performance. I had a lot of different emotions. I wanted to throw all kinds of adjectives up on the board. I wanted to label him as a pathological liar, as someone who is delusional. But I can’t do it anymore. I think he, in many ways, is the Jack Nicholson of coaching. He’s a man for all seasons.”
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