Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh issued a statement Thursday saying he expects to be back in Ann Arbor next season leading the Wolverines. In addition, a school source told The Athletic on Thursday that the football program has been under NCAA investigation and expects to receive a Notice of Allegations by the end of this week. Here’s what we know:
- Harbaugh, who expressed interest in returning to the NFL in recent years, has been the subject of reports for open roles including Denver and Carolina.
- The school source believes that the NCAA violations are relatively minor infractions — one includes an analyst coaching players and another involves text messages that violated NCAA rules — but that the investigation also centers on the program’s response to such violations. Three sources who have knowledge of the investigation confirmed it included self-reported violations involving an analyst coaching players on the field. It is unclear what the punishment from the NCAA would be.
- Harbaugh has a 74-25 record at Michigan since 2015. The Wolverines went 13-1 this season, winning the Big Ten championship before losing to TCU in the CFP semifinals, Michigan’s second consecutive Playoff appearance.
- Harbaugh was head coach of the 49ers from 2011 to 2014, leading San Francisco to three conference title games and one Super Bowl appearance.
- Sources close to Harbaugh told The Athletic they thought this offseason felt different for the coach and he would be more likely to leave.
What he is saying
“I am aware of the rumors and speculation over the past few days,” Harbaugh said. “College and NFL teams have great interest in all our personnel, from players to coaches to staff, and I truly believe that is a testament to the strength of our University of Michigan football program.”
“As I stated in December, while no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023. I have spoken with president Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel and appreciate their support of me and our program. Our mission as Wolverines continues and we are preparing for the 2023 season with great passion and enthusiasm. As our legendary coach Bo Schembechler said, ‘Those who stay will be champions.’”
Backstory
Last year, Harbaugh, fresh off leading Michigan to its first Big Ten title in 17 years, pursued a return to the NFL.
On Signing Day in 2022, Harbaugh met with the Minnesota Vikings but ultimately didn’t get offered the job. He told reporters after that, “There was a pull to the NFL because I got that close to the Super Bowl, but this was the time. And this is the last time. Now let’s go chase college football’s greatest prize.”
This year, Harbaugh led his alma mater to an even more impressive season, going undefeated in the regular season and dominating archrival Ohio State, again. This time, it happened in Columbus and the Wolverines won going away, 45-23.
Over the past two seasons, Harbaugh has shown that he has continued to evolve as a head coach and his program has made a dramatic turnaround. UM was a big favorite entering its College Football Playoff semifinal game last weekend against TCU, but got upset, and now with NFL teams once again giving the 58-year-old Harbaugh strong consideration, his next move will be fascinating to watch. A return, perhaps to the Denver Broncos or his old team, the Indianapolis Colts, could be very tempting. — Bruce Feldman
What this means for Michigan
Harbaugh is reiterating what he said in December, when he stated that he expected to be “enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023.” In other words, nothing has changed. His statements about the NFL come with a caveat about not knowing the future, which keeps the door cracked open. But for the moment, Harbaugh isn’t backing off from his pledge to be at Michigan next season. — Meek
(Photo by Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)