Reports: Jim Harbaugh Suspended Three Games By Michigan Athletics
Breaking news this afternoon, via the insiders:
JUST IN: We are told that Jim Harbaugh has informed those inside Schembechler Hall that #Michigan is self-imposing a three-game suspension for Harbaugh effectively immediately https://t.co/pAjCvE0jbq
— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) August 21, 2023
Henschke was the first to leak it publicly, but it has been corroborated by other insiders ($) on the various paid sites. No official word yet from the team or the university, but it appears that Harbaugh will miss the three non-conference games at the athletic department's directive. The internal logic seems to be that this is a move intended to take away leverage from the NCAA, limiting their ability to suspend Harbaugh as a result of the investigation. More importantly, this is a seeming attempt to prevent this saga from affecting the 2024 season. More when official details are released.
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August 21st, 2023 at 1:27 PM ^
What a nothing-burger.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
Now is the time to sign Harbaugh to that extension.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:58 PM ^
Signing the extension may have been an important reason for doing this.
August 21st, 2023 at 5:03 PM ^
You can sign him, but he gone!
This BS lack of support by the AD & admin will be the thing that drives him out.
Let's just hope it's riding off on his players shoulders following the NC!
August 21st, 2023 at 5:08 PM ^
lol...
So the NCAA not suspending Harbaugh meant "he gone," because he didn't want to be suspended next year.
And Michigan self imposing a suspension means, "he gone"...because you want me to believe this decision was made completely independent of Jim Harbaugh.
What a bunch of bullshit. If Jim Harbaugh wasn't okay with being suspended right now, he wouldn't be. Michigan would be seeing this out into next year.
Also, for the record, all reports are that the reason Jim doesn't have a new contract is because he doesn't want a new contract.
Likely, per insiders, because the penalty for breaking his current contract is a lot less than it would he is a new agreement.
August 21st, 2023 at 10:32 PM ^
You, your friends & their cousins may neg & rationalize all you like - I'm stating here on Aug. 21 2023 that this will be Harbaugh's last season at Michigan.
What I believe he would like from this AD & admin - and I know what I would like - is to say FU to the ncaa, and completely disregard these penalties.
Not get around them by self-imposing a lesser suspension than they had wanted. No - completely challenge them to prove their case & fight them on their authority to impose any penalty Harbaugh & Michigan don't agree to.
That's how you show him you trust him & his word, and value him more than you do bowing to the ncaa!
August 22nd, 2023 at 12:14 AM ^
Tell me more about the future, oh Nostradamus.
August 22nd, 2023 at 6:21 AM ^
I've said what I have to say, and why I say it.
Did Nostradamus explain himself, generally?
August 22nd, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
Every season that begins there is a significant chance that it is Harbaugh's last season. I think they did this because the NCAA has completely botched this entire thing and even broke their own rules about discussing it publicly. You self-impose a three game suspension and then look at the NCAA like "what are you still investigating?"
Harbaugh made a couple of missteps three years ago when the world-entire was in the process of collectively losing its mind. Now they want him to grovel and he is not going to. What is the NCAA doing here? Nobody cares about this but them.
August 22nd, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
So... hes not gone... But he is also not signing an extension so to make it easier and cheaper for him to be gone in the near future. Follow.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:59 PM ^
Nothing-burger with cheese.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:27 PM ^
Oh no, whatever will we do against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:28 PM ^
Same thing we do every game, Pinky. Try to take over the line of scrimmage.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
There is only one thing of which I'm truly sure in life:
At any given time, nobody is pondering what Jim Harbaugh is pondering.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:23 PM ^
Not a contradiction but corollaries:
• At any given time, the NCAA is pondering what Jim Harbaugh is pondering. (As an organization, it can't be anybody or nobody
• As a nobody, Finebaum is pondering what Jim Harbaugh is pondering
August 21st, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^
Poit!
August 21st, 2023 at 1:28 PM ^
Hopefully this puts the issue mostly to bed and we don't have some bullshit drag on later this season or next season
August 21st, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
The NCAA already said the 2023 season for any suspensions or any punishment is over 2024 is the next time they will look at it
August 21st, 2023 at 2:56 PM ^
guaranteed to be noisier than ever. Wonder if there was concern that NOT taking action would somehow jeopardize whatever success they have this year.
August 21st, 2023 at 5:15 PM ^
Finally, someone with brain.
What's worse, going 15-0 and vacating 3 wins (and probably your national championship) or going 15-0 and risk losing 3 non-conference games (to teams you should beat with no coaches and a Tecmo Bowl playbook) because Harbaugh isn't on the sideline?
Another positive that no one talks about.
Anyone want to look at the non-conference next year?
Michigan hosts Texas! Don't think Jim would want to coach in that game?
So even if the NCAA goes back to 4 games. You get credit for these 3, miss Fresno St. next year...and Jim is on the sidelines versus Texas.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:30 PM ^
"No cheeseburger for you, two year"
Cheeseburger Nazi...ie ncaa assholes🖕
August 21st, 2023 at 1:31 PM ^
Pretty savvy move by Michigan all things considered. The team had been prepping for him to be out for the non-con anyways. Don't let some unknown punishment hang over the program for a year. Just do this now against 3 weak opponents and get it over with.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
This isn't remotely savvy. It's an embarrassment. UM could have done this weeks ago instead of having the NCAA publicly shoot down their deal. And there is certainly no guarantee that this is it. This is a self-imposed suspension shorter than what the NCAA shot down.
Edit: In summary, Michigan suspends head coach for a quarter of the season for a cheeseburger infraction. MGoBlog community celebrates a supposed savvy W by the athletic department.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:14 PM ^
The alternative is leave it in the hands of the NCAA and let them hold it over Michigan's head for a full year and then implement an arbitrary punishment that was worse than 4 games. I guess we will see, but I have a hard time beleiving the NCAA is going to take this plus an additional 4 games next year. Even if they go back to the original 4 games, he misses Fresno St next year and comes back for Texas.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:18 PM ^
Frankly, I like that this is shorter than the deal the NCAA (apparently) wasn't satisfied with.
This is U-M saying, "We're done with this BS. Three games is all you're getting from us."
August 21st, 2023 at 2:36 PM ^
We have no guarantee that this is it with the punishment. NCAA could add more.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
We would contest that if so. I think this is the line in the sand we're drawing. We acknowledged committing a couple of minor infractions but do not acknowledge committing the major one. This is all they're going to get from us.
I think the NCAA will quietly accept this. They have not won the battle in the court of public opinion.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:56 PM ^
Or worst case they hit him with 6 and he is out the non-conf. next season. Would suck not to have him for Texas, but woul have him for Big Ten play with presumably a young-ish team.
Can't imagine a scenario where the NCAA would say screw you we are not counting the 3 game self imposed ban. Cuts against their narrative of taking pro-active punishment into account.
August 21st, 2023 at 4:26 PM ^
No. Minor infractions would mean no game suspensions at all. The fact that there is a 3 game suspension means we are acquiescing to lying/misleading.
The NCAA won big time on this.
August 21st, 2023 at 5:16 PM ^
They're not going to add more than one more game.
Now look who Michigan plays in Week 2 next year.
If you think that doesn't factor into this...you're crazy.
August 21st, 2023 at 5:31 PM ^
Wait. Didn't the NCAA want 6 games?!
August 21st, 2023 at 7:43 PM ^
Yes the NCAA already rejected the 4 game suspension. They will not accept this 3 game suspension and call it a day. I think they will add to this suspension next year. If four games wasn't enough, is the NCAA looking at 6 or more games in 2024? Let's say the NCAA wants an 8 game suspension and they will take into account these 3 games in 2023 and just add on 5 more in 2024.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:58 PM ^
Can't wait until he's suspended for UT next year. JK, he'll be in the NFL.
August 21st, 2023 at 7:47 PM ^
I think so too. Harbaugh is not going to stick around for 2024 whether or not he wins it all this year. AD has to look at the future and how this will affect recruting. He has already looked at the NFL the last two years and he will do it again at the end of this year.
August 21st, 2023 at 3:13 PM ^
Since this is a Harbaugh suspension (and Harbaugh only?).....isn't it essentially admitting that he lied to the investigators? It doesn't look like it addresses the issues with contacting recruits during a dead period or observing practice/training when they shouldn't because that might involve other parties.
At this point, it looks like it's only about Harbaugh (not the big picture)....and that would imply the issue of lying to the investigators. Personally, I wouldn't have given anything to the NCAA.....because they were losing in the court of public opinion (and not just from a Michigan perspective).
August 22nd, 2023 at 12:17 AM ^
The problem is that even though the NCAA was losing in the court of public opinion, it still is the judge and jury here. It has to have some fig leaf to cover its own idiocy.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:20 PM ^
It's an embarrassment
For who, the NCAA?
The longer this has played out, the more ridiculous the NCAA's position has looked. They couldn't even follow their own guidelines about not commenting on the case.
Self-imposing a punishment a month ago would have vindicated the NCAA. At the same time, we probably don't actually want to fight them in court.
The fact that it's a game shorter than the proposed suspension tells you what we think of the matter, while giving them a chance to quietly slink out with their tail between their legs.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:57 PM ^
Michigan just self imposed a 3 game suspension on their head coach for a cheeseburger. You tell me who is embarrassed. Or step away from this blog and look elsewhere. Warde Manuel is an absolute joke.
August 21st, 2023 at 5:17 PM ^
lol How is this on Manuel? He didn't break the rules and if you think he suspended Harbaugh on his own without Jim's input...you're a fucking idiot.
August 21st, 2023 at 7:13 PM ^
Warde played ball with the NCAA. Mistake #1. Jim signing off on this doesn't mean his athletic department including Warde and lawyers failed him.
I can see you're bending over for Warde every chance you get right now though.
August 21st, 2023 at 4:20 PM ^
This is an embarrassment exclusively for the NCAA. We effectively shook hands on an agreement. We held up our end of the deal and the NCAA reneged because public opinion had them looking like the kangaroo court that they are. More importantly, they broke their own rules in front of the whole world.
Jim coming out and saying that there was nothing to be embarrassed at Big Ten media days about was tantamount to the moment when Lt. Daniel Kaffee asks, "Did you order the Code Red?" This of course goads the NCAA into saying, "You can't handle the Truth," and breaks their own rules.
Now we're in the drivers seat. Taking the self-imposed 3 game suspension takes away any control from them. If they want to go to court, it will be a real court, not this joke that the NCAA operates where they get to be judge, jury and executioner.
Bring it!
August 21st, 2023 at 1:34 PM ^
This may actually be the best outcome. Obviously, this whole NCAA investigation is stupid, and what Harbaugh is being accused of is nothing close to the magnitude of what the NCAA allows to go on every single day at so many schools, but even recognizing how stupid this is, and how stupid the NCAA is, this had the potential to be yet another overhang on recruiting heading into the next class if it dragged beyond the season.
This resolution gets this issue over and done with, and with virtually zero impact on the team. Harbaugh is missing games against the most cupcakey of cupcakes, will be back for the conference schedule and can continue to coach during the week.
While I would have loved to see Harbaugh give the NCAA the middle finger on this, doing so at the expense of letting this drag on and continue to be a story (giving other coaches the ability to negatively recruit with "Harbaugh is going to jump to the NFL to avoid a suspension before next season") is a smart - albeit less satisfying - move.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:47 PM ^
emotional brain whated the AD to give the NCAA the giant middle finger.
The pragmatic part thinks this is the best way to get it over. THe whole coaching staff could skip each of the 1st the games - the players could coach themselves - and M would still win by 21+.
Don't make a 1 day story into a 2 day story
August 21st, 2023 at 2:00 PM ^
Well, the Athletic Dept made it a lot longer than a 2 day story while letting the NCAA shoot down a publicized deal that UM was negotiating. UM has accomplished nothing other than giving what should be a dying mouse a crumb.
Do you think this is how UT handled their situation? No. They stonewalled them.
August 21st, 2023 at 2:59 PM ^
Hopefully takes some steam out of negative recruiting against JH. Clearly some teams will continue the "he probably won't be here next year" narrative but this may cause the media talking heads to calm down.
Be a great time for Warde to pony up a contract extension.
August 21st, 2023 at 3:50 PM ^
The Athletic Department is not the one who reneged on the deal. The AD thought they had a deal in place with NCAA investigators, but NCAA Committee on Infractions nixed it. I think it is a good move by the AD because a suspension is coming one way or the other; we were already negotiating it. I think it is better for Michigan to self-impose first to try to get out in front of the NCAA when they try to tack on more. Better to try to fight them then.
What do you mean by "stonewall?" Yes, Tennessee did not help the NCAA in their investigation, but they admitted fault to anything they did find. The #1 rule with the NCAA is do not lie or mislead them. You don't need to help them or admit to anything they can't prove, but you better not lie about something they can prove or they will throw the book at you. The penalty Tennessee received is a joke, but they "cooperated" with the NCAA. These level II violations at Michigan would never have even made the news or led to any meaningful penalties if Michigan had just admitted to the items the NCAA had evidence to prove.
August 21st, 2023 at 7:53 PM ^
Yeah don't lie to the NCAA. Didn't we all learn from Jim Tressel and Tatgate?
August 21st, 2023 at 2:45 PM ^
All things considering, I think it will have a positive impact on the team. Winning 3 games without the head coach can give a subliminal confidence to carry them in harder situations.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:34 PM ^
A nice primer for the next coach in waiting.
Once again UM proves to the world that we are the Kings of self-imposed sanctions.
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