Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, facing a Level I allegation from the NCAA for lying to investigators, has acknowledged the program has committed four Level II violations, but he will not agree to state on or off the record he lied to investigators.
The news was first reported early Thursday by Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel, and The Detroit News confirmed the information with a source close to the situation. The source requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Michigan, which is trying to secure Harbaugh, 59, long term with what is expected to be a lucrative contract extension, has met several times this week with the NCAA, according to sources, as both sides have attempted to work toward a negotiated resolution in this matter. That is a preferred outcome with the NCAA, which would avoid a protracted process that could last well into the year. Michigan could propose self-imposed sanctions, and the NCAA also could impose a multi-game suspension on Harbaugh.
Still, Harbaugh, entering his ninth season as Michigan head coach, has been resolute he will not agree to the allegation he lied to investigators.
“The NCAA has no proof that Coach Harbaugh was less than honest during his interviews,” a source told The News on Thursday. “Nor do they claim to have any such proof. You’d have to be a mind reader to jump to that conclusion, yet that’s exactly what the NCAA has done here.”
Michigan received a draft of the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations on Jan. 5 outlining the Level I charge levied against Harbaugh for lying to and misleading investigators, as well as four Level II charges for alleged impermissible recruiting contact in 2021 during the COVID recruiting dead period.
Level I violations, per an NCAA graphic, “seriously undermine or threaten the integrity of college sports” and provide a recruiting or competitive advantage. Level II violations are, according to the NCAA, “more than minimal but less than a substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage.” They can be “systemic violations that do not amount to lack of institutional control”. And Level III violations are considered isolated or limited in nature.
Several sources confirmed to The News that high-powered attorney Tom Mars, who in the last six years has been highly successful going against the NCAA in a variety of cases, is representing Harbaugh in this case. Mars should be a familiar name to Michigan fans, since he successfully fought the NCAA to grant transfer quarterback Shea Patterson immediate eligibility in 2018. Since then, the NCAA has established a one-time transfer rule for undergraduates to transfer without having to miss a season. Also since then, Mars has represented several head coaches in NCAA enforcement cases.
With Harbaugh’s refusal to state he lied to NCAA investigators, it is unclear how this roadblock in the negotiated resolution complicates Michigan’s efforts to work out a contract extension for Harbaugh. While there have been what were described on Monday by a source as “substantive discussions” regarding an extension, resolving the issues with the NCAA has been a priority. Until that happens, it appears discussions have focused solely on dealing with the NCAA.
Michigan president Santa Ono, who has been on the job for three months and established himself as a strong supporter of athletics, announced Monday on Twitter that Harbaugh informed him he will not be going anywhere.
“I just got off the phone with Coach Harbaugh and Jim shared with me the great news that he is going to remain as the Head Coach of the Michigan Wolverines,” Ono wrote. “That is fantastic news that I have communicated to our Athletic Director Warde Manuel.”
Harbaugh responded to Ono’s tweet saying he loves the relationships he has at Michigan and added, “my heart is at the University of Michigan. I once heard a wise man say, ‘Don’t try to out-happy, happy.’ Go Blue!” His comment left room for interpretation, but with potential NFL opportunities drying up this offseason, it seemed a strong indication of his return.
Through eight seasons at Michigan, Harbaugh is 74-25 and has led the program to new heights the last two seasons, including a 25-3 record with back-to-back Big Ten championships and appearances in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Both times, Michigan has failed to advance to the national-title game, the most recent disappointment, a 51-45 loss to TCU on New Year’s Eve to finish the 2022 season at 13-1 and ranked No. 3 nationally in the final AP and Coaches polls.
Late every season, usually as Michigan prepares for the postseason, Harbaugh-to-the-NFL speculation typically begins to swirl. Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers for four seasons, including a Super Bowl appearance before taking over at Michigan in 2015 — which is why Harbaugh's name is often linked to NFL openings. Last February, he flew to Minnesota for an interview with the Vikings, but returned without a job offer, pledged himself to Michigan and a week later signed a contract extension.
A day after the Big Ten championship game and earlier this month, he made similar comments regarding his coaching future.
“As I stated in December, while no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023,” Harbaugh said in a statement earlier this month that appeared on Michigan football social media platforms.
Shortly after the Fiesta Bowl loss, the NFL rumors picked up steam, most notably involving the Denver Broncos. He interviewed with the Broncos for two hours via Zoom on Jan. 9, and several national NFL “insiders” considered Harbaugh a top candidate for the job. He has not been linked to any other vacancies, although, according to national NFL reporters, Harbaugh’s “team” had reached out to the Carolina Panthers. Ono’s tweet followed by Harbaugh’s on Monday seemed to squash the possibility of Harbaugh going to the NFL.
