Jim Harbaugh met with reporters late Saturday and refused to discuss the punishment received by his former program, Michigan.
“Like I said to you last year, not engaging,” the Los Angeles Chargers coach said after his team’s final-seconds loss to the Rams in a preseason game in Inglewood, Calif. “I’m done engaging.”
Harbaugh led the Wolverines to an undefeated season and the College Football Playoff championship in 2023, but the program was plagued by accusations of stealing signs from opposing teams between 2021-23 under the guidance of recruiting analyst Connor Stalions.
In releasing its findings publicly on Friday, the NCAA said that “over the course of three seasons, the Michigan football program committed violations involving an off-campus, in-person scouting scheme, impermissible recruiting inducements and communications, head coach responsibility rules, individuals’ failures to cooperate and Michigan’s failure to monitor.”
The NCAA’s punishments included a fine based on Big Ten revenues, and that could add up to a fine of $20 million to $30 million, in addition to other financial penalties. The NCAA also issued a 10-year show cause order for Harbaugh, 61, which would impede his chances of coaching in college again if he wanted to.
The Chargers hired Harbaugh as their head coach following the Wolverines’ title game.
Michigan said it is appealing the NCAA ruling.
–Field Level Media
