On Wednesday, the NCAA issued a four-year “show cause” order against former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
On Thursday, the first-year Chargers coach was asked about the punishment.
“I’m stopping the engagement there with commenting,” Harbaugh told reporters, via ESPN.com. “But my only hope is that one day college athletics will be about what’s best for young men and young women who participate in it. That’s really all I’ve got to say about it.”
Many agree with that sentiment. But the chronic failures of college sports to treat athletes fairly are unrelated to rules violations committed by their coaches. The NCAA has determined that Harbaugh engaged in recruiting violations during the COVID dead period, and that he was then not truthful about it. The NCAA could still determine that he has responsibility for the sign-stealing scandal that engulfed the program in 2023.
As to this week’s decision, and as noted in a post on Thursday by Stewart Mandel of TheAthletic.com, Harbaugh denied meeting with the prospects in question of their fathers. Per the NCAA, however, “the weight of the factual information — including statements from the prospects, their fathers, and other football staff members, as well as documentation such as receipts and expense reports — demonstrates that Harbaugh was physically present and engaged in these meetings.”
One prospect specifically recalled that Harbaugh ordered a bacon cheeseburger, for breakfast. (That actually seems entirely on brand. Especially if he ordered 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 eventually will prompt 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 ducked NCAA sanctions by escaping to the NFL. With Harbaugh’s lawyer essentially mocking the NCAA process by saying, in essence, “Too late, suckers,” the league might feel compelled to do something to placate the stewards of pro football’s free farm system.