A Michigan man was coming dwelling.
That was the pitch when the College of Michigan named Jim Harbaugh their subsequent soccer coach again in 2015. He was a former quarterback who wore the maize and blue below legendary head coach Bo Schembechler, and following his personal NFL profession he solid a path as a coach, creating winners at Stanford after which with the San Francisco 49ers.
And his Michigan teaching journey has been successful, at the very least on the sphere. The Wolverines completed with a 5-7 document in 2014 below Brady Hoke, the yr earlier than Harbaugh arrived on campus. The turnaround was nearly instant, as Michigan completed with a 10-3 document in Harbaugh’s first season and received the Citrus Bowl.
The Wolverines have endured only one dropping season below Harbaugh — the shortened COVID-19 yr — and have now made the Faculty Soccer Playoff in three-straight seasons.
Nonetheless, there may be extra to the Harbaugh story in Ann Arbor than the wins and losses.
Much more.
An early satellite tv for pc camp controversy
It didn’t take lengthy for the highlight to search out its solution to Harbaugh’s desk.
Throughout his early days at Michigan, Harbaugh grew to become the poster baby for “satellite tv for pc camps.” These had been had been camps hosted by excessive colleges, together with some small schools, the place higher-level faculty coaches had been invited in as visitor coaches. These had been additionally great sources for recruiting, as higher-level coaches might work together with the quite a few top-level recruits who attended these camps.
Whereas some conferences, such because the ACC and the SEC, had restrictions on their coaches attending these camps — limiting them to a 50-mile radius round their college — the Massive Ten didn’t. So Harbaugh leaned into the apply. Arduous. Throughout 2015 Michigan was slated to go to 9 such camps in June. The next yr? Harbaugh had 34 such visits on his calendar for the month of June, as a part of the varsity’s “Summer season Swarm Tour.”
In fact, a disagreement adopted, curiously sufficient that includes Nick Saban, the coach Harbaugh will face on New Yr’s Day. Saban blasted the apply, evaluating it to the “wild, wild West,” and Harbaugh didn’t stay silent:
“Superb” to me- Alabama broke NCAA guidelines & now their HC is lecturing us on the potential for guidelines being damaged at camps. Really “wonderful.”
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) June 1, 2016
Finally, the NCAA issued a blanket ban on the apply in 2016. Harbaugh didn’t take that call quietly, blasting the NCAA and dropping his “I recommend we drop the time period ‘student-athlete’ for consistency,” line. Whereas that was finally rescinded, coaches are actually restricted in what number of camps they will attend, and once they can attend them.
The Matt Weiss investigation
Then there may be the matter of former co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss. Weiss was fired by Michigan in January of 2023 following a “report of laptop entry crimes” that occurred in Schembechler Corridor from Dec. 21-23, 2022. In line with reporting from the varsity’s Every day Crime & Hearth Log, it’s alleged that somebody — Weiss particularly — participated in “fraudulent exercise involving somebody accessing college emails accounts with out authorization.”
The varsity has been cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning the matter, and reporting this fall indicated that the incident was not linked in any solution to the alleged sign-stealing operation (which we are going to tackle in a second). Additional, there may be not reporting in any respect that Harbaugh was concerned into the alleged laptop entry crimes in any means.
Nonetheless, given all the pieces else that has occurred with the Wolverines this yr, it bears mentioning.
Beef in recruiting
Harbaugh started the 2023 yr suspended.
For beef in recruiting. Literal beef that’s.
The NCAA started an investigation into Michigan’s recruiting practices, in the end sending a Discover of Allegations to the varsity which cited 4 Degree II violations. Among the many alleged violations? Assembly with recruits throughout a COVID-19 useless interval, texting recruits outdoors of allowable timeframes, having analysts carry out teaching duties on the sphere throughout practices, and observing gamers understanding over Zoom.
The place did the conferences happen? On the well-known “The Brown Jug,” a beautiful Michigan establishment. Harbaugh allegedly met the recruits there and purchased them burgers.
Burgers which the undersigned writer can attest to as being tasty. It actually is a beautiful spot.
The matter was heading in direction of a decision between the NCAA and the varsity, however then talks broke down. In line with the NCAA, Harbaugh refused to confess that he initially lied to NCAA investigators firstly of the investigation. The coach held that the didn’t recall the conferences with recruits when chatting with investigators, and that he was by no means knowingly and purposefully dishonest.
Different members of his employees obtained punishment from the NCAA. Mike Macdonald, who was as soon as the Wolverines defensive coordinator and now holds that very same job with the Baltimore Ravens, was hit with a one-year show-cause penalty.
Because of the alleged dishonesty with investigators — a transfer considered by the NCAA as a Degree I violation, and thus extra extreme conduct than the underlying allegations — Harbaugh was going through a suspension of wherever from three to 6 video games. In an effort to get out forward of that, the varsity self-imposed a three-game suspension on Harbaugh, which he served forward of the season.
That was one lower than the four-game suspension that was rumored firstly of the yr.
Harbaugh was not alone, as offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and tight ends coach Grant Newsome served self-imposed one-game suspensions.
We meet Connor Stalions, and Harbaugh will get one other suspension
And now we meet Connor Stalions.
Again in October, allegations surfaced concerning former Michigan analyst Connor Stalions, who was employed by the workforce as a soccer analyst following seven years as a volunteer. In line with a number of experiences, Stalions was on the head of an operation aimed toward deciphering varied play-call indicators for upcoming Michigan opponents. The investigation additionally consists of allegations that Stalions was on the Central Michigan sidelines, wearing CMU gear, whereas Central Michigan opened their season towards Michigan State.
Signal-stealing is a reasonably gray space within the guidelines, because the NCAA does allow sign-stealing throughout video games. Nonetheless, there are two acts that aren’t allowed: In-person advance scouting to decipher indicators, in addition to utilizing digital gadgets to decipher indicators.
Stalions was alleged to be on the head of an enormous operation that did each of these issues.
Each the NCAA and the Massive Ten launched investigations into the matter. In the end, the convention handed down a three-game suspension for Harbaugh, on the day earlier than the Wolverines had been scheduled to play Penn State on the highway.
That Friday was the day on which Veterans Day was noticed, which means courts had been closed, and as such the varsity — and coach Harbaugh — had been put in a troublesome spot in making an attempt to have the suspension put aside on a brief foundation. Attorneys for the varsity and the coach filed a movement searching for a Short-term Restraining Order (TRO) that may enable Harbaugh to educate the workforce towards Penn State, however the court docket as an alternative set in a listening to for the next Friday.
Forward of the scheduled listening to, Michigan introduced that the varsity had reached an settlement with the Massive Ten. “This morning, the College, Coach Harbaugh, and the Massive Ten resolved their pending litigation. The Convention agreed to shut its investigation, and the College and Coach Harbaugh agreed to simply accept the three-game suspension,” started a press release from Affiliate Athletic Director Kurt Svoboda. “Coach Harbaugh, with the College’s assist, determined to simply accept this sanction to return the main focus to our student-athletes and their efficiency on the sphere.”
The assertion indicated that there was no proof of any involvement on Harbaugh’s half within the sign-stealing operation.
“The Convention has confirmed that it isn’t conscious of any info suggesting Coach Harbaugh’s involvement within the allegations. The College continues to cooperate absolutely with the NCAA’s investigation,” stated the assertion from the varsity.
Now, the NCAA’s personal investigation stays ongoing, and as famous within the preliminary suspension handed down by the Massive Ten, further penalties could possibly be forthcoming for each Michigan and coach Harbaugh, on the conclusion of that investigation.
So the matter just isn’t but settled.
The NFL all the time looms
One thing else that all the time appears unsettled relating to Harbaugh?
His teaching future.
Given his current success at Michigan, the prospects of him returning to the NFL are all the time simmering within the background. He has flirted with the NFL prior to now, and final January he met with Carolina Panthers proprietor David Tepper, and interviewed with the Denver Broncos.
Nonetheless, he finally put out a press release that he can be staying at Michigan.
“I really like the relationships that I’ve at Michigan — coaches, employees, households, administration, president Santa Ono and particularly the gamers and their households,” Harbaugh stated in a press release. “My coronary heart is on the College of Michigan. I as soon as heard a clever man say, ‘Don’t attempt to out-happy, comfortable.’ Go Blue!”
Nonetheless, for those who look across the present NFL panorama, there are actually some choices for him ought to he entertain a return to the league. The Panthers are once more searching for a head coach, and Tepper might take one other run at Harbaugh. The Los Angeles Chargers are one other touchdown spot, and Harbaugh could possibly be enticed by the prospect to educate Justin Herbert. Then there are some potential touchdown spots that might open up within the subsequent few weeks, together with the Chicago Bears, the place Harbaugh was as soon as a participant.
The coach was requested a couple of potential NFL return forward of the Rose Bowl, and deftly averted the subject:
Nonetheless, the varsity won’t be as amused. In line with Ian Rapoport of the NFL Community, Michigan is trying to ink Harbaugh to a ten-year contract extension.
But, that features a clause that he not entertain the NFL for the 2024 season:
Sources say Harbaugh, whose present deal runs by 2026, obtained a proposal from Michigan for a 10-year, $125-million contract extension that may make him one of many highest-paid coaches in faculty soccer. But there’s a caveat, and it’s NFL-related.
If he signed the deal — which he has not but completed — Harbaugh would agree to not entertain or settle for an NFL job for the 2024 season. The NFL clause can be one season solely, however that’s apparently been sufficient to tug out the method.
Harbaugh has not but signed that deal, which solely opens the door to extra questions. And wouldn’t you recognize it, information broke on Sunday that Harbaugh had retained agent Don Yee to characterize him going ahead. Yee’s consumer checklist consists of Tom Brady, Sean Payton, and different NFL figures.
Maybe the NFL actually is in his future. Is a nationwide championship in his future as properly?