Update: Jim Harbaugh Won't Get To Be Tom Cruise In Court After All - He And Michigan 'Can't Handle The Truth'

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will not get to have his day in court Friday after all and will remain under in-game suspensions for Maryland Saturday and Ohio State on Nov. 25. He will once again have to watch his Wolverines on TV.

Michigan and Harbaugh decided not to appear in court for fear of what further investigation by the Big Ten and the NCAA has got on them, according to new developments on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Harbaugh was discussing wanting to act like Tom Cruise in court from the movie, "A Few Good Men." Perhaps, a reboot was in the offing - "A Few Good Michigan Men" perhaps. But apparently a new ending would've hit a little too close to home opposite Jack Nicholson playing Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti with a new ending where Nicholson wins.

"Always kind of felt like it would be cool to get up there and thunder away at a jury like Tom Cruise in 'A Few Good Men,'" Harbaugh said Monday at his weekly press conference.

Well, the reboot has been booted because of too much Big Ten evidence.

The Big Ten suspended Harbaugh on Nov. 10 for his program's alleged illegal scouting and sign stealing scheme that began in 2021. The suspension bans him from Michigan's remaining three regular season games - completely. Harbaugh is not allowed on the sideline, in the stadium, or anywhere at the "game venue" on game day. He can otherwise do everything a coach does Sundays through Fridays, and he can coach Michigan in the postseason.

Michigan's Jim Harbaugh May Miss Another Wolverines' Game

His game day ban includes use of his cellular phone or any other type of electronic communication to speak with assistant coaches or players.

Jim Harbaugh has been suspended for four of Michigan's 10 games this season - the first three of the season for breaking NCAA recruiting rules in 2020 and last week at Penn State for his program's alleged illegal scouting and sign stealing scheme. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Jim Harbaugh watched his No. 3 Michigan Wolverines and interim coach Sherrone Moore win at No. 10 Penn State, 24-15, last Saturday on television. He watched at the team hotel just outside State College, Pennsylvania, Michigan football communications director Dave Ablauf told OutKick.

It was as if Harbaugh was Joe Fan who couldn't get a ticket.

Harbaugh was hoping State Court Judge Timothy Connors would rule in favor of Harbaugh for a temporary restraining order against the Big Ten at the Washtenaw County Courthouse in Ann Arbor. And he liked his chances. Connors is a Michigan graduate from 1997 - the last time Michigan won the national championship. He is also a member of the Michigan Law School faculty and regularly lectures.

Alas, Harbaugh will be in front of a TV again the next two Saturdays. No. 3 Michigan (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) plays at Maryland (6-4, 3-4 Big Ten) Saturday (Noon, FOX).

Judge Had Strong Michigan Ties

Michigan plays the game of the year a week from Saturday on Nov. 25 at home against No. 2 Ohio State (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) at noon on FOX. That could be an elimination game for a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff, though both made it last year after Michigan beat Ohio State.

Michigan players celebrate a touchdown during their win at Penn State on Saturday without coach Jim Harbaugh, who was suspended.(Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Michigan is a 19-point favorite over Maryland. The line will be much thinner for Ohio State. Harbaugh does not call plays. But he has been a dynamic, heavily involved presence on the sideline at all his head coaching stops in college and the NFL. He has been successful at every job.

Big Ten Banned Michigan's Jim Harbaugh From Game Venue

"The University football team must compete without its Head Football Coach for the games remaining in the 2023 regular season," the Big Ten's suspension said Nov. 10. "For clarity, the Head Football Coach shall not be present at the game venue on the dates of the game to which this discipline action applies."

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti was not clear in his suspension statement about Harbaugh's use of electronic communication during games in which he is suspended, including cell phone texting to coaches and players. Coaches often text recruits just before games, at halftime, just after games and sometimes during games.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti (right) and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh were set to square off in person in court on Friday in Ann Arbor in front of a Michigan graduate judge. (Getty Images).

Michigan football communications director Dave Ablauf did not answer a question about Harbaugh's electronic communication possibilities.

"I would ask the Big Ten what the parameters are for his suspension," he told OutKick Wednesday.

Commissioner Tony Petitti's Statement Lacked Clarity

Big Ten communications director Megan Althoff referred these simple questions to Big Ten vice president of strategic communications Scott Markley. He sent OutKick the previous statement from the Big Ten. When told that statement did not cover electronic communication and could be read in a way that indicated Harbaugh indeed could contact players and coaches on his cell phone, Markley finally responded with a straight answer.

"NCAA football rules prohibit electronic communication for coaches from outside the stadium," Markley told OutKick.

Interestingly, it is precisely electronics that has Michigan in trouble. Fired Michigan analyst Connor Stalions allegedly used electronic equipment against NCAA rules to record signs and signals from future opponents against other schools "outside" Michigan's games. That is what has Michigan under NCAA and Big Ten investigation, and Harbaugh under suspension.

But Markley is correct after the Big Ten neglected to include such information in its original suspension statement.

Here are the NCAA rules that prohibit Harbaugh or his cell phone's signals to "not be present at the game venue on the dates of the games to which this disciplinary action applies." NCAA coordinator of officials Steve Shaw sent this to OutKick on Thursday.

Rule 1-4-11-B: Prohibited Field Equipment

Only voice communication between the press box and team area is permitted. Coaches’ booth space and location must be approximately equivalent for the home and visiting teams and should be located in the traditional press box area. Where press box space is not adequate, only voice communication may originate from any area in the stands between the 20-yard lines extended to the top of the stadium. NO OTHER COMMUNICATION FOR COACHING PURPOSES IS PERMITTED ANYWHERE ELSE, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION FROIM OUTSIDE THE STADIUM (Remote Coaching).

Shaw also sent another NCAA rule when directly asked about Harbaugh's predicament:

Rule 1-4 11 I: Prohibited Field Equipment

If the Head Coach of the home team is unable to attend the game in person and wants to monitor the TV broadcast and (a) call in plays via cell phone to the offensive coordinator and (b) use a virtual application (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) to communicate with the team in the locker room, the rule is specific and allows only voice communication between the press box and the team area.

Therefore in (a) THE COACH COULD NOT CALL INTO THE PRESS BOX OR THE SIDELINE FOR ANYTHING RELATED TO COACHING PURPOSES. THIS RULE PROHIBITS THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING COMPUTERS, TO BE USED FOR COACHING PURPOSES. And this would include all virtual types of communication back to a team during the game. Consequently in (b) any virtual session with the team, this would not be allowed. THIS PROHIBITION WOULD BEGIN AT 90 MINUTES BEFORE THE KICKOFF WHEN THE OFFICIALS ASSUME JURISDICTION OF THE GAME AND WOULD INCLUDE THE TIME BETWEEN PERIODS UNTIL THE END OF THE GAME.

The NCAA updated its electronic communication rules in 2021 after COVID in 2020 with many coaches having to miss games due to contracting the virus.

"The additional language that includes 'remote coaching' and the (second rule above) were introduced for clarity in 2020 during the COVID season, and incorporated into the rule book in 2021," Shaw told OutKick on Thursday.

Coach TV Series Art Imitating Michigan Real Life?

So, in other words, Harbaugh cannot coach his team from his hotel by phone to interim coach Sherrone Moore. That was the way Minnesota State coach Hayden Fox did when he was hospitalized with an abscessed tooth in the 1990 season. Fox gave assistant coach Luther Van Dam directions during the game while watching it on TV.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh can't coach in a game again until the postseason. (Getty Images)

Hayden Fox is the fictional coach played by Craig T. Nelson of the fictional Division I-AA Minnesota State on the TV series "Coach" from 1989-97. The late Jerry Van Dyke played Van Dam. He went against Fox and faked a field goal at the end of the game in the "Magnificent Abscession" episode.

Needless to say, Harbaugh has much more confidence in Sherrone Moore than Fox had in the always befuddled Van Dam.

Harbaugh Believes In Michigan Interim Coach Sherrone Moore

"Sherrone is the best of the best," Harbaugh said this week. "His toughness, mental toughness, physical toughness, there's nobody that doubts Sherrone Moore and his dedication, his connection, his commitment to the team. So, that's my pick."

Like Fox, though, Harbaugh got very close to the TV during his game absence Saturday.

"I was like five inches from the TV to watch that," Harbaugh said of of Moore's memorable postgame interview when he cussed and cried - almost as much as USC's Caleb Williams the previous week.

"It was beautiful," Harbaugh said. "I'll remember that, too. I know I said I'll remember (daughter) Grace's letter until they throw dirt over top of me. But I'm going to remember what Sherrone said, too. It meant a lot. Means a lot. Much appreciated."

He clearly needs Moore. For the fifth time this season because of suspensions, Harbaugh will not be there when his team plays a football game. He served a suspension for the first three games of the season self-imposed by Michigan in hopes that it would decrease the NCAA's sentencing against Harbaugh. It will not. That involves a previous case in which Harbaugh broke NCAA recruiting visitation rules during COVID in 2020 and lied about it to the NCAA.

If Michigan wins Saturday, Harbaugh will miss Michigan's 1,000th all-time win if the Wolverines beat Maryland.

"We want to make sure we don't mess it up," Moore said.

Michigan Will Miss Jim Harbaugh In The Ohio State Game

So, how important is a head coach on game day? That depends on the coach. An extremely hands-on coach like a Nick Saban or a Jim Harbaugh is inherently valuable on game day. They change strategy. They lead halftime adjustments. They motivate. They redirect assistant coaches.

"Definitely an impact," Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said on ESPN just after news broke Saturday that Harbaugh would not coach at Penn State.

But Harbaugh does get to coach Sundays through Fridays while under suspension.

"If one or the other, the week of preparation would be the most important," Stoops said. "But if it hit me on a Friday or Saturday?"

Or a Thursday.

"That's something you'd have to adjust to," Stoops said. "That's different. That's shocking. That would be tough."