Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh expected to be suspended four games for lying about violations: report
Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh is expected to receive a four-game suspension for allegedly lying about his program’s recruiting violations, according to a report.
The penalty would be the result of negotiations between the NCAA and Michigan, Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday.
Harbaugh and staff members are accused of offenses that include contacting and meeting with recruits during prohibited times, which are considered relatively minor infractions.
In January, Harbaugh wouldn’t say that he lied during an NCAA investigation, and he has claimed not to remember the incidents. It is unclear if Harbaugh, 59, has since acknowledged lying to the NCAA, which is considered a bigger violation than the recruiting missteps he’s accused of.
“We are continuing to work cooperatively with the NCAA staff on an enforcement matter,” Harbaugh’s attorney, Tom Mars, told ESPN. “At this time, we are not allowed to comment on possible penalties or other aspects of the matter.”
Harbaugh would miss the first four games of the 2023 season, during which the Wolverines are scheduled to play East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green and Rutgers, all at home.
Also set to be punished is former Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who could receive a show-cause penalty that would complicate a return to college football. Macdonald is now the defensive coordinator for John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens, where he replaced current Giants coordinator Wink Martindale in 2022.
Michigan is coming off a 13-1 season in which it won the Big Ten Conference and made the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive year. The team brings back quarterback J.J. McCarthy and star running back Blake Corum this season.
Harbaugh became the head coach at Michigan, his alma mater, in 2015 after holding the same role with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14.
