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Jim Harbaugh would be suspended for a year and could have his duties severely limited for up to four years if he sought to return to coaching football in college, under penalties imposed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association on Wednesday.
Harbaugh, who coached the University of Michigan to a national championship in 2023 before signing on in January as coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League, engaged in unethical conduct, broke NCAA rules governing recruiting and violated his obligations as head coach, the NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions ruled. Michigan and several of its other officials had earlier resolved other aspects of the infractions case, but Harbaugh had declined to participate in that resolution.
“The panel noted that Harbaugh’s intentional disregard for NCAA legislation and unethical conduct amplified the severity of the case and prompted the panel to classify Harbaugh’s case as Level I–Aggravated, with penalties to include a four-year show-cause order,” the NCAA stated in a news released. “Subsumed in the show-cause order is a one-season suspension for Harbaugh.”
Show cause orders require any NCAA institution that seeks to hire a former coach and administrator who has been deemed a rule breaker to petition the NCAA and explain why the person should not be subject to those penalties.
Harbaugh is probably unlikely to test the NCAA’s requirement here; his contract with the Chargers pays him a reported $16 million a year.
Harbaugh’s longtime lawyer posted on X, “The way I see it, from Coach Harbaugh’s perspective, today’s COI decision is like being in your college and getting a letter from your high school saying you’ve been suspended because you didn’t sign the yearbook.”
