Yet another case of NCAA violations in college football has happened. Head coach of the University of Michigan football program Jim Harbaugh is under fire for “alleged false statements he originally made to investigators,” according to Yahoo Sports. Harbaugh is expected to face a 4-game suspension once their season starts due to these violations.
The NCAA and Harbaugh are currently working through a negotiation that needs to be approved by NCAA Committee on Infractions. The violations are not the only thing that the NCAA was investigating. Harbaugh reportedly lied about the violations before the investigation began. Once the investigation was finished, Harbaugh then refused to admit that he lied, which definitely did not help his case. Former defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald, offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, and tight ends coach Grant Newsome are all expected to receive sanctions related to the violations.
According to Yahoo Sports, these violations included “meeting with two recruits during a COVID-19 dead period, texting a recruit outside of an allowable time period, having analysts perform on-field coaching duties during practice and having coaches watching players work out via Zoom.” These violations are considered Level II violations, which are more minor than other violations and usually have minor consequences. However, the fact that Harbaugh would not admit to the violations and would not admit that he lied made his punishment much more substantial than it would have been if he had cooperated with the NCAA in the first place.
The Wolverines are expected to be one of the top contenders for The College Football Playoff National Championship. The team finished 13-1 last season, losing to TCU in the semifinals. Michigan's first four games are against East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green, and Rutgers. In the college football world, one loss can keep you out of the running to make the playoffs. These four games will be crucial for the rest of the Wolverines' season, and they surely will miss their head coach on the sidelines.
The majority of ratings for Coach Harbaugh on the 2aDays site were good:
One of the greatest coaches I've ever had!
He is the best Coach in college football.
However, his most recent review is a bit harsher:
Coach Harbaugh is an absolute joke. He's an asshole who doesn't know how to relate to his players. Everyone around him in the program has to try to steer him away from running his players into the ground constantly. If you care about your son, don't send him to play football at Michigan.
This scandal will definitely place a blow to Harbaugh's reputation as a college football coach. The program has a great record and is well respected, but they are going to have to fight hard to come back from this.
