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The Michigan Wolverines were all ready to hand head Jim Harbaugh a shiny new contract.
After all, Harbaugh is 33-3 over the last three seasons and is looking for his third consecutive Big Ten championship.
But then the NCAA got involved.
Now, Harbaugh and the Wolverines are under investigation over allegations over an elaborate, multi-year sign-stealing scandal.
That spells trouble for the 10th year head coach.
Jim Harbaugh Loses Contract Offer Amid NCAA Investigation
Andrew Beaton of Rachel Bachman of The Wall Street Journal report that Michigan has since rescinded its contract offer to Harbaugh in the wake of the investigation.
“The pause on his raise in recent weeks, parallel to the additional scrutiny in the sign-stealing investigation, is likely only to increase the speculation that Harbaugh may decamp for the professional game before the NCAA makes its ruling,” Beaton and Bachman write. “In the meantime, Harbaugh has Michigan marching toward yet another College Football Playoff appearance.”
There’s just one problem with that.
Even if Harbaugh should return to the NFL, where he previously enjoyed significant success as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, he could still face punishment.
Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report that “the NFL is unlikely to make itself a safe harbor for Harbaugh to escape what could be substantial NCAA discipline.” He may need to “serve some or all of any possible suspension he could face in college if he returns to the pros.”
The move is consistent with prior cases as well.
When the NCAA punished Ohio State’s Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor in 2011 for improper benefits, each was punished by the NFL as well.
Pryor entered the NFL’s Supplemental Draft. While Tressel was informally suspended before joining the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7 of that season.
Could Harbaugh face a similar fate.
It’s certainly possible.
But it’s unlikely we find out anything prior to the end of the 2023 college football season.