NCAA Gives Jim Harbaugh A Four-Year Show-Cause Penalty For 'Unethical Conduct', Recruiting Violations

The Michigan football program is waiting on the NCAA to hand over its findings from the sign-stealing investigation, but that didn't stop the NCAA from handing down penalties that resulted from Jim Harbaugh alleged recruiting violations. 

The former Wolverines head coach was given a four-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA on Wednesday for his involvement in impermissible recruiting during the COVID-19 dead period in 2021. The investigation into Harbaugh and other Michigan staffers has been ongoing for upwards of two years, and it resulted in Harbaugh being suspended for the opening four games of the 2023 season. 

In its release, the NCAA also gave the current Los Angeles Chargers head coach a one-year suspension for violating obligations as a head coach. This includes ‘unethical conduct’, along with failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance around the Michigan football program. 

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 04: Head Football Coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines is seen on the field before a college football game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Stadium on November 04, 2023 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

One of the key points to this punishment from the NCAA hinged on Jim Harbaugh failing to ‘meet his responsibility to cooperate with the investigation’. This means that the former Wolverines head coach did not feel the need to explain himself to the NCAA, or that the organization felt as though his answers were not truthful. 

"Today, the committee issued its decision resolving that portion of the case," the NCAA release noted. "The underlying violations in this case are centered around impermissible recruiting contacts and inducements during the COVID-19 dead period. Throughout the investigation, Harbaugh denied his involvement in the violations, which were overwhelmingly supported by the record. Harbaugh also refused to participate in a hearing before the committee.

"Harbaugh's violations of the COVID-19 recruiting dead period are Level II violations, but his unethical conduct and failure to cooperate with the membership's infractions process — specifically, his provision of false or misleading information — is a Level I violation."

You can read the full resolution from the NCAA, here

NCAA Did Not Feel Jim Harbaugh Guided Michigan With Compliance 

In one of the examples of Jim Harbaugh supposedly lying to NCAA investigators, it centered around meeting a prospect and his father, along with failing to monitor visits to the school, which he was not allowed to meet with prospects. 

"Harbaugh's underlying violations centered on impermissible in-person contacts with prospective student-athletes during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period," the NCAA noted in its release. "Specifically, in February 2021, Harbaugh had breakfast with a prospect and the prospect's father at a local diner and later provided the prospect with access to Michigan's football facility. Additionally, in March 2021, Harbaugh met with another prospect and his father at the same local diner."

So, the fact that Harbaugh was not entirely truthful during the process, or gave misleading information was one of the main factors into him receiving a lengthy penalty. If Harbaugh wanted to return to the college game, which is most likely not going to happen, the school that hired him would have to put up a pretty big fight to convince the NCAA to allow it. 

"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," the NCAA noted. "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."

If you're keeping up at home, this penalty is not related to the investigation into sign-stealing by Connor Stalions, which is being investigated separately. But if the NCAA was ready to give Harbaugh a five-year suspension over recruiting violations during the COVID period, you can imagine what it will try to hammer him with regarding the current investigation. 

"Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. I was raised with that lesson," Harbaugh said Monday regarding the sign-stealing allegations. "I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams I have coached. No one is perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and make it right. Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate, was not aware more complicit in those said allegations. So, it's back to work and attacking with enthusiasm unknown to mankind."

Well, I'd imagine he wasn't talking about the recruiting violations that led to him receiving a show-cause penalty, along with a one-year suspension. 

The fallout from Harbaugh's time at Michigan continues, and most folks are just ready for this to be over.