On Wednesday, the NCAA issued a four-year “cause show” order against former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
On Thursday, the Chargers’ first-year head coach was asked about the punishment.
“I’m interrupting engagement there with comments,” Harbaugh told reporters, via ESPN.com. “But my only hope is that one day college athletics will be about what’s best for the young men and women who participate in it. That’s really all I have to say about it.”
Many agree with this sentiment. But college sports’ chronic failures to treat athletes fairly are not related to rules violations by their coaches. The NCAA determined that Harbaugh engaged in recruiting violations during the COVID dead period and that he was not truthful about it. The NCAA could still determine he is responsible for the sign-stealing scandal that engulfed the program in 2023.
As for this week’s decision, and as noted in a post on Thursday, per Stewart Mandel of TheAthletic.com, Harbaugh denied meeting with the prospects in question of his parents. According to the NCAA, however, “the weight of factual information – including statements from prospects, their parents and other members of the football team, as well as documentation such as receipts and expense reports – demonstrates that Harbaugh was physically present and involved in these meetings.”
One prospect specifically recalled that Harbaugh I ordered a bacon cheeseburger for breakfast. (Actually, this seems entirely on-brand. Especially if he asked for whole milk to wash it down.)
If the NCAA or others are lying about Harbaugh, he has options within the confines of the civil justice system. He should sue someone for defamation.
And he shouldn’t ignore the possibility that these allegations will eventually lead the NFL to do something. They’ve done it before with a coach (Ohio State’s Jim Tressel) and a player (Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor) who escaped NCAA sanctions by fleeing to the NFL. With Harbaugh’s lawyer essentially mocking the NCAA process by saying, in essence, “Too late, suckers,” the league may feel compelled to do something to placate the administrators of professional football’s free farm system.
