This college football season should be Jim Harbaugh’s finest moment.
Harbaugh has the most talented team he has ever had at the University of Michigan. This might be the best shot the Wolverines have had at winning a national championship for the first time since 1997. Last week, they were ranked No. 2 in the preseason Top 25 coaches poll.
But all of that has taken a temporary backseat to last weekend’s surprising developments.
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel reported that an agreement between Harbaugh and the NCAA that would have seen him serve a four-game suspension to begin the season has broken down. It’s the latest twist in alleged Level II violations in the “dead period” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the surface, this seems like a tempest in a teapot. The violations involve allegedly meeting with recruits and watching workouts via Zoom. Things escalated when the NCAA accused Harbaugh of misleading investigators. That led to the agreement on a four-game suspension. But now that’s apparently off the table, and according to Wetzel, disciplinary action might not happen until next year.
In the short term, Michigan is the big winner. The Wolverines will have their coach for the entire season. However, their first four games are against the underwhelming likes of East Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green, and Rutgers— all at home. Michigan could handle those cupcakes without Captain Khakis. And once the suspension ended, the news cycle would have moved on. But now, Harbaugh might face a stiffer punishment, and this story will linger throughout the season.
We’re going to be talking about Harbaugh’s future. Whether he wins the national title or not, will this be his final season in Ann Arbor? Will he make a return to the NFL?
While many Michigan fans grouse whenever the national media speculates about Harbaugh, the coach’s actions tell us all we need to know. He interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings two years ago and might have left if he was offered the job that ultimately went to Kevin O’Connell. Afterward, Harbaugh told Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press that he was done chasing NFL jobs. Guess what? Last offseason, the Denver Broncos met with Harbaugh. A deal didn’t happen, and the Broncos hired Sean Payton.
Judge a man by what he does and not necessarily what he says. Harbaugh has made it clear by his actions that if the right NFL job opens up, he’ll take it. The landscape of college football is rapidly changing, and you have to wonder if Harbaugh is eager to return to the less chaotic environment of the NFL. He wouldn’t have to deal with transfer portal or Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. It’s pure football. All he has to do is coach.
He also can get away from the NCAA and its antiquated regulations. Harbaugh, whether he’s guilty or not of these latest infections, has to be tired of micromanagement. It is hard enough to compete in the Big Ten without having to constantly consult with a compliance officer or the rule book.
The NFL has its own challenges. It’s harder to accumulate and keep talent due to the draft and salary cap. But Harbaugh has successfully navigated the league before, going 44-19-1 with a Super Bowl trip with the San Francisco 49ers (2011-14). He might still be in the NFL if not for losing a power struggle with then-general manager Trent Baalke.
We don’t know how the 2023 NFL season will play out. What if a team looking for a coach has the No. 1 or No. 2 overall draft pick? The possibility of drafting Caleb Williams or Drake Maye will be enticing for someone like Harbaugh.
We also don’t know how the 2023 college season will play out. Perhaps, Harbaugh will enjoy this year so much that he’ll stick around at Michigan, where he has been in charge since 2015.
There’s a lot to ponder, and the latest Harbaugh vs. the NCAA plot twist will only increase the speculation.
