ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The NCAA on Wednesday announced a four-year order for former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for unallowed contact with recruits and players while access was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NCAA said Harbaugh, who left his alma mater to coach the Los Angeles Chargers after last season's national championship, “engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated the accountability obligations of a head coach.”
The NCAA had already placed Michigan on three years of probation along with a fine and recruiting limits after reaching a negotiated resolution that was approved by the infractions committee in the same matter.
Harbaugh did not accept the settlement and denied allegations that he failed to cooperate with investigators. Harbaugh's attorney, Tom Mars, said the coach was not invited to participate in the settlement process nor was he aware that a settlement had been reached between the school and the NCAA.
“The panel noted that Harbaugh's intentional disregard for NCAA law and his unethical conduct increased the severity of the case and led the panel to classify Harbaugh's case as Level I-Aggravated, with sanctions that include a four-year order to show cause. The order to show cause includes a one-season suspension for Harbaugh,” the NCAA said.
The show-cause order covers the 2024-28 period and would require a school that wants to hire Harbaugh to suspend him for the first full season. After that, Harbaugh would be barred from athletic-related activities, including team travel, practices, film study, recruiting and team meetings until the order expires.
The recruiting case is separate from the NCAA’s investigation into impermissible in-person scouting and sign-stealing that impacted Michigan’s 2023 national championship season and resulted in Harbaugh’s three-game suspension by the Big Ten.
The multiple instances could expose Michigan to being considered a repeat offender by the NCAA, which could trigger more severe penalties. The fine was not announced, though NCAA guidelines call for a $5,000 fine for mitigated Level I violations.
The NCAA, which also said Harbaugh is suspended for one season as part of its sanctions, prohibits him from working at any NCAA school in an athletics-related capacity.
