Earlier this week, the NCAA announced a pretty significant punishment for former Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh as a result of recruiting violations, and he and the program remain under investigation for an alleged illegal sign-stealing operation. But that does not seem to be deterring Michigan from honoring their former head coach.
During a recent appearance on the “1 Star Recruits” podcast, Michigan Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel announced that Jim Harbaugh will serve as honorary captain for the Wolverines’ Aug. 31 game against Fresno State.
This is obviously a rather shocking decision as it comes just days after the NCAA announced a four-year show-cause penalty for Harbaugh for impermissible contact with recruits and players while access was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that Harbaugh “engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations.”
The show-cause penalty would force any school wishing to hire Harbaugh between 2024 and 2028 to suspend him for the first full season with the team. After that suspension, Harbaugh would remain banned from athletics-related activities including team travel, practice, video study, recruiting, and team meetings until the order expires.
That does not prevent Michigan from celebrating him, however, and it’s clear they intend to do that even despite the findings against him.
