ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Since the start of the year, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and his program have taken hits, from the NCAA alleging violations, to the firing of co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss, who is in the midst of an ongoing police investigation into computer-access crimes in the football building, and then there was Harbaugh’s NFL dance with the Denver Broncos.
Harbaugh is in his ninth season at Michigan, which opened spring practice on Monday, and he addressed a number of issues during a news conference Thursday.
Michigan was alleged by the NCAA to have committed several Level II violations during the COVID recruiting dead period in 2021, but Harbaugh is facing a Level I violation, the most severe, for allegedly lying to and misleading NCAA investigators. It is unclear at this point whether there will be a negotiated resolution with the NCAA, or if this will drag on for the next year.
Weiss was “terminated” on Jan. 20 after it was found during a university investigation review that day that he “inappropriately accessed” computer accounts, according to his termination letter.
Also last month, Harbaugh — who, a year earlier traveled to the Minnesota Vikings for an interview and returned without a job offer and said he was done looking at the NFL — drew interest from the Denver Broncos about their opening. Broncos ownership even flew to Ann Arbor to meet with Harbaugh.
He was asked Thursday his comfort level with the negative headlines this offseason following Michigan’s 13-1 season that included a second consecutive Big Ten title and College Football Playoff appearance.
“You’ve got to be in this building to really feel it,” Harbaugh said. “Compare us to perfect, and we’re gonna come up short in the major areas. Compare us to any other program, I think you’re gonna see it doesn’t get any better.
“When you talk about graduating players, it’s as close as you can possibly be to graduating players over the eight years. Talk about doing things with integrity on the field, off the field, players, coaches, staff, everybody within this football program, about as close as you can get to perfect. Winning games, I’ll call it the same, it’s not perfect, 13-1 is not perfect. And that’s what we keep striving for. We keep chasing that perfection.”
When asked about NFL conversations, Harbaugh filibustered about the interest all his coaches have from NFL teams and mentioned defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who is being considered by the Philadelphia Eagles for their defensive-coordinator opening.
“Like we’ve said, it’s an ongoing thing, something we treat as a really positive thing that NFL franchises, NFL teams have a lot of interest in all of our personnel, coaches, players, staff, and if somebody in our organization feels like that’s going to benefit them professionally and personally, we say, have at it,” Harbaugh said. We don’t hold anybody back. People do what they think is best for them professionally and personally.”
But, is this the end of Harbaugh’s NFL flirtations? He chuckled for a moment.
“I’m here as long as Michigan wants me here,” he said. “You would have had a story if I wasn’t here. But I’m here. This is where I wanted to be.”
Late last season, Harbaugh said he expected to be coaching Michigan this season. It wasn’t exactly definitive, as he said, “No man knows the future,” but his point Thursday seemed to be that anyone on his staff should take calls from the NFL if that’s best for the individual.
Harbaugh was asked if he will be at Michigan beyond the 2023 season.
“That’s something you assess after every season,” Harbaugh said. “That’s the thing I will do after every season, (with) my superiors, fan base, players. You get that vote of confidence from all three of those groups, here we go again. Let’s tee it up and have a great season.”
Harbaugh said he doesn’t “really know anything” about Weiss — and if he did, he wouldn’t be able to comment. He also said he’s “not at liberty” to discuss the NCAA situation.
There has been speculation over the last several weeks that Harbaugh and Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel have a difficult relationship. Harbaugh has not been given a contract extension — he signed one after he returned from the Vikings a year ago — and the holdup seems to be the NCAA investigation and where that goes.
“I feel like it’s a great relationship,” Harbaugh said of Manuel. “It’s one of those narratives that seemed to be out there, but I have a great relationship with Warde Manuel and he’s been great for our athletic department and our university. Nothing but good. I trust Warde; he trusts me.
“As far as any kind of contract situation, we don’t even talk about that. I just ask, ‘Do you want me here at Michigan?’ after every season. After every season anywhere I’ve ever been, that’s the conversation I want to have, ‘Do you still think I’m the best person to do this job?’ I want to know what the rest of the administration thinks, I want to know what the players think, I want to know what the other coaches think, and I want to know what the fanbase thinks.
"When that season is over, I sit down and have that conversation with Warde, and do the same with the players and assess where the fan base is. All the eight years I’ve been here, that’s the feedback I got and in the month of January, it was as good as it’s ever been from players, coaches, from Warde, administration, the president and from the fan base. Here we go, let’s go to 2023 and have at it.”
