Jim Harbaugh ‘expected’ to be suspended 4 games amid NCAA investigation

Jim Harbaugh ‘expected’ to be suspended 4 games amid NCAA investigation

The University of Michigan will be without its head football coach Jim Harbaugh for the start of the 2023 college football season. An NCAA investigation into recruiting violations resulted in Harbaugh being served a four-game suspension, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports first reported Tuesday that Harbaugh and the NCAA were working towards the penalty.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and NCAA are working toward a negotiated resolution that is expected to see him suspended four games this season in penalties stemming from alleged false statements he originally made to investigators, sources tell @YahooSports.https://t.co/4oJYVNxmFu

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 25, 2023

Harbaugh’s suspension comes after allegedly making false statements to the NCAA during an investigation into recruiting violations, per Dellinger. The NCAA alleged that Harbaugh was not truthful in the early stages of the investigation. Meanwhile, Harbaugh claimed that he did not properly recall the events and did not admit to lying to investigators.

Harbaugh and the NCAA eventually reached a comprised of a four-game suspension. Typically, lying to investigators would lead to a six-game suspension. The NCAA Committee on Infractions still has to approve the negotiated resolution and has the authority to change the penalty.

The initial NCAA investigation was over a hand of recruiting violations. This included meeting with two recruits during the COVID-19 dead period, messaging a recruit outside of a permitted time frame, having coaches watch workouts over Zoom and having analysts participate in on-field coaching.

Ultimately, Harbaugh is facing suspension for not being fully truthful with the NCAA rather than committing the aforementioned violations.

The NCAA will also punish several other Michigan staff members. The NCAA is sanctioning offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and tight ends coach Grant Newsome. It has also punished Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who was a part of Michigan’s staff in 2021 and served as the defensive coordinator.

The punishments for Moore and Newsome will include a one-game suspension, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Harbaugh’s suspension will keep him off the sidelines for the entirety of Michigan’s nonconference schedule and its first Big Ten game. The Wolverines will open the season with games against East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green and Rutgers. Harbaugh will return to coaching in Week 5 when Michigan squares off with Nebraska.

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Michigan football should be able to manage Jim Harbaugh’s suspension as the early portion of their schedule is fairly easy. As long as the interim coach, who has yet to be named, can keep the ship afloat for four games, Michigan should be fine in 2023. The program could face struggles if the NCAA levies heavy recruiting sanctions, but that decision has not been announced at this time.

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