John U Bacon: potential NCAA reprimand for football, adding to Harbaugh's frustrations
Published on his blog this morning, copying some here since a hungry fanbase crashed his website:
Sources have told me Harbaugh is fed up with the NCAA, and all the hassles that go with coaching college football vs. the NFL – something just about every coach would understand. The NCAA is famous for punishing misdemeanors while ignoring felonies. As Jerry Tarkanian famously said, “The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky that they’re going to give Cleveland State another year of probation.”
Another unknown factor: Harbaugh and/or his staff will likely receive some form of reprimand from the NCAA, for what I’ve heard is a relatively minor recruiting infraction from two years ago. What exactly the infraction is, what the NCAA’s response might be – with the NCAA, it is impossible to predict — and how Harbaugh and Manuel will react to the NCAA’s conclusions aren’t yet known. U-M insiders believe the NCAA will be announcing what the infraction is and what the penalty will be, if any, within the next few weeks.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:15 AM ^
There better be no penalty and no reprimand. All the bullshit going on around the NCAA and they pick on guys who follow the rules and ignore the guys who don't. Hell, they can't even place a decent referee crew and replay crew in a playoff game. They need to be bulldozed and rebuilt, the sooner the better.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
Urban Meyer enabled domestic violence and SOMEHOW is stilled allowed to work in college athletics.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:53 AM ^
after the bar scene video was published.... ohio state considered having him teach another class, "exploring nebraska" it was going to be a hands on course....
January 5th, 2023 at 11:45 AM ^
If some penalty is actually announced against Michigan, the AD, President, and Harbaugh all need to call out the NCAA'a complicity in letting LSU, ASU, and KU completely and utterly off the hook for federal trial proven payments. They need to be called out for letting UNC send it's athlete's to non-existent classes. And I mean 2016 OSU Harbaugh-esque scorched Earth hollering, not some 'we accept this' BS that Michigan normally extends. No apologies, no fine payments.
Fuck the NCAA...
January 5th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
I don't know why schools and coaches don't call out their hypocrisy, why still be scared of the NCAA? It's such a charade at this point.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:16 AM ^
If I know the NCAA they will absolutely hammer Michigan for whatever minor violation occurred knowing that unlike other schools accused of much more serious violations (looking at you Arizona, Kansas & LSU basketball) Michigan will self-flagilate, apologize for our horrible transgressions and self-impose major penalites which the NCAA can then add too at their leisure.
What I've learned over the past several years is the only way to deal with the NCAA is to tell it to fuck right off and just keep on keeping on. They know the programs that will do this so they purposively dont touch them. They also know which programs have no backbone or stomach for that approach (now I'm looking at our beloved school) and they go after them with a vigor knowing they will face zero resistance and we'll happily help any investigation.
My guess is this was the straw that broke Harbaugh's back. He absolute KNOWS our AD will not publicly defy the NCAA like the actual renegade programs do and doesnt want to deal with the bullshit, hypocrisy any longer. And if that is the reason for his change of heart re coaching here, I dont blame him one bit for wanting to leave.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
I fully expect U of M to assume the role of the NCAA's gimp from pulp fiction again.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:24 AM ^
Warde doesn’t have to defy the NCAA, just don’t pay them any attention. It’ll probably be something small like one less coach on the road during recruiting. Sounds more like Harbaugh trying to make reasons for why he wants to leave.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
My two buddies were drunk outside a bar in an alley and one decided to take a leak behind a dumpster. A cop came out of nowhere giving them a dressing down and asking their names.
My one buddy notices the other buddy starting to clumsily reach out to touch the badge on the chest. He is thinking shit we are going to jail now and I just had us talked out of this shit.
So he flicks the badge and says this guys is a rent a cop cmon let’s go. And they walked away.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:38 PM ^
Man, I think you have a pretty bad take on all of the things over the past week.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
Because I think he's going to leave?
I guess time will tell on that one. This is just my guess as to why he'd go from "I'll coach Michigan as long as they'll have me" and "I wont put them through this again" to whatever we're going through right now.
You think he's staying, great - I hope you're right. I definitely want him here and am not one of the "if he doesnt put this to bed he should quit/get fired" crowd at all. Go back and look at my posts - you wont see one of them that suggests that. But I bet XM he's leaving and as much as I dont want him to, I think he's gone.
January 5th, 2023 at 1:18 PM ^
I know you aren't one of "those" people... but I just don't think you aren't thinking logically on the whole "Harbaugh" situation. Seems to me that emotion is driving your thought process on this.
January 5th, 2023 at 1:41 PM ^
I politely disagree. I think logic is far more on the side of him departing and that emotion (I really want something to happen) is far more driving the side believing he will stay.
1. He is vastly underpaid by elite college HC standards
2. He has rebuilt the program entirely winning the past two B1G championships
3. He was slayed his personal demon by thoroughly beating OSU twice
4. He knows not forcibly squashing the NFL rumors is going to have a very negative impact on recruiting this year and perhaps going forward and yet he remains quiet or gives vague, non-committal answers to the "are you staying" question.
5. His reputation in the NFL has never been higher. He will be the #1 choice for virtually all the teams making a change this year creating one hell of a bidding war for his services
The only thing I can see the "he's staying" side can lean on is he said he wouldnt go. But he keeps saying "you cant tell the future" as a qualifier when asked if he still means that.
January 5th, 2023 at 1:58 PM ^
As I see it, every point you listed except for #5 are to me, reasons that make me think he's using the leverage he has to get a much better contract.
Time will tell, of course.
The thing that bothers me, is that you have some people here on mgo who tend to follow the pack. When prominent posters like yourself keep hammering your opinions, the negative feedback just gets worse and worse. I think the bipolar nature of our fanbase is one of very few things that have to drive the guy nuts. See all of the people calling for Warde to fire him... insanity. I know you aren't saying that. I just wish people could just let it play out.
January 5th, 2023 at 2:25 PM ^
Yeah . . . A better NFL contract
January 5th, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^
We'll see, Joe.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:17 AM ^
Just fight them to the bitter end on any potential violation like Arizona, Kansas, Louisville and everyone else does. But no, Michigan being Michigan will admit the violation and ask for twice the regular penalty.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
Just ignore them and they go away. That seems to work for all other schools.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:17 AM ^
Miss me with the whole "the NFL is chasing JH but JH isn't chasing them" shtick. Takes two to tango and I don't blame a guy for wanting back in to the NFL but spare me the semantics as a way of covering your ass.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
"JH hired an agent but isn't pursuing nfl jobs"
k sure
January 5th, 2023 at 11:18 AM ^
Did the NCAA ever punish Ohio State for the extra practicing that was the precursor to "Hang 100 on em" "born on third base" and all that? Or was that just a Big Ten thing (and if so, did the Big Ten do anything about it)?
January 5th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
I think the answer is.. neither the B1G nor NCAA did anything significant.
However, there’s a rumor that the actions the Buckeyes needed to take included Ryan skipping his use of “Just For Men”, for one day per week, for three weeks after Spring practices concluded a couple of years ago.
January 5th, 2023 at 3:04 PM ^
Michigan did something about it. Twice.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:21 AM ^
If the AD bends the knee like with the Fab Five Michigan has learned no lessons. The NCAA has zero power anymore
January 5th, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
Fab Five? Dude, no need to go that far back - stop at 2010 with Rich Rod.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:51 AM ^
IIRC Dave Brandon actually called out the NCAA and the reporters for how much a joke the whole things was... But at the same time Michigan had to toe the line because they weren't 100% certain if stretch gate would over lap with the Fab 5 sanctions and if they did they were going to be in even more trouble with the NCAA...
January 5th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
The Fab Five is the entire reason we are always so quick to kneel before the NCAA. We need to stop. What happened 40 years ago is an absolute joke compared to violations that have been ignored within the last 20 years. Let it go. Hang the banners.
January 5th, 2023 at 3:44 PM ^
100%!!
January 5th, 2023 at 11:21 AM ^
Ehh…OSU & the SEC get hit with minor infractions all the time! Big schools just ignore and keep it moving.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
Have you met Michigan?
January 5th, 2023 at 12:34 PM ^
Hell, LSU just had a team orgy run by the recruiting coordinator.
January 5th, 2023 at 4:06 PM ^
How was it?
January 5th, 2023 at 11:23 AM ^
NCAA bullshit could possibly be the reason we lose Beilein AND Harbaugh. Sucks.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:24 AM ^
Love me some strategic press leaks. Got a whole William/Harry/Meghan thing going on right now.
(grabs popcorn)
January 5th, 2023 at 11:26 AM ^
The infractions are new to me but I'm sure they exist and they'll deal with it, but this feels like a fair bit of editorializing by Bacon about how much of an impact this is having on Harbaugh. Yes, the NCAA sometimes punishes you for dumb stuff, but the NFL is just as bad in other ways. So if Harbaugh is annoyed with the NCAA meddling he'll absolutely feel the same way in the NFL with the owners, the GMs, etc.
Also, I'm starting to get a little tired of JUB creating these once-a-day posts where he mostly says nothing and throws around some speculation and we all treat it as gospel. He clearly has some level of sources but he's been just as out-of-step as anyone.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
Yeah unlike years past, it feels like no journalist is really plugged into Harbaugh's true intentions this year. And that's likely a direct product of having an agent, and possibly using it as a means to get a bigger contract out of Michigan (which he has more than earned and deserves). If Harbaugh has no real intention of moving to the NFL I imagine this gets resolved within 1-2 weeks...but until it happens, we will get journalists reporting everything from "probably gone" to "probably coming back" with all of the possible reasons for either (like this post from JUB)
January 5th, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
People who think Harbaugh is doing this to get a bigger contract do so while ignoring the fact that it isn’t about money. Todd Anson himself had said that it has never been about money.
Many on here just don’t want to contend with the fact that it is likely that Harbaugh is leaving.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^
Yeah but money is a stand in for respect, especially in an industry with these egos.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
Well, you're almost always completely wrong, so there's that...
January 5th, 2023 at 2:45 PM ^
Seeing as you have a lifetime batting average of .000 when it comes to being correct I will take this as a compliment.
January 5th, 2023 at 3:06 PM ^
Um, okay buddy. I was right last year, about the same thing. I was right the year before, when nearly everyone here was calling for Harbaugh to be fired. I was right when most were calling for Beilein to be fired, a couple different times.
You?
Yeah...
January 5th, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^
For one, contracts aren't all about money. Harbaugh might want more resources of his staff (which isn't money to him but to his facilities). He might also want assurances about certain things Michigan will be doing, changes to how they'll handle transfers (which we've already seen take shape), etc.
But beyond that, I'm sure Harbaugh is figuring out if he wants to make another run at the NFL or not. He's probably struggling with it. But last year he made it clear he was openly looking for the job, telling recruits and others he was interviewing and would take the job. Now all we've heard is him publicly state multiple times his intentions to stay at UM, he's telling players and recruits the same, and has the added wrinkle of probably being annoyed he is being paid much less than people like Mel Tucker when he's clearly better and done more. So yeah, it's not about the "money" in a dollars-and-cents situation but in a respect situation.
Harbaugh may well leave but I doubt anyone knows for sure. You seem pretty certain of yourself so at least you've got that.
January 5th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
From most accounts UM has given him everything he wants. What more would he want?
We are hearing that NIL is finally being rectified as are transfers. The staff is certainly going to get raises.
It is precisely because UM is giving him everything he wants that I am near certain that he will leave if he gets an offer. If it is the NCAA that is frustrating him and if he still feels the desire to win a Super Bowl there is nothing Michigan can do about either.
Furthermore, what statements we have have directly from him—not second or third hand reports of what he has said—have very obvious qualifiers. That indicates to me that he is seriously thinking about moving on. That is a bad state of affairs for the program even if he stays this year.
January 5th, 2023 at 3:23 PM ^
The money does mean something; he's underpaid relative to other coaches and that does matter in what it represents.
I don't know if NIL has been rectified; there was a post here not a month ago that said UM was woefully behind the times and lost a ton of recruits to it. That may have been a bit hyperbolic but that was the talk. And the transfer changes have been welcome but still very recent; is that a one-off change or is that the new normal? Not sure.
As for the direct statements he said "we'll be back coaching this team in 2023". He's since added qualifiers in the way that absolutely feels like someone's agent is telling him to do so and he's being coy.
I'm sure the NCAA is annoying to him. So will the NFL, and for all the talk about parity and paths to title games any team he takes over will be in a multi-year rebuild before he can credibly make a run at a championship. Yes, he's not won a SB; he also hasn't won a national title after getting basically as close as he did in SF the past 2 years. There's as much "unfinished business" here as anywhere, and with the added benefit of playoff expansion coming up he'll have a lot more opportunities to win that title.
So again, if Harbaugh bolts then so be it but a lot of his actions and statements this time around are different than last year's, and at this point I'll put more stock in those than speculation seemingly based on the assumption that his actions and statements are in fact a clever ruse by a mastermind trying to throw off the cops.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:30 AM ^
Why not just tell the NCAA to get bent? What can they do?
January 5th, 2023 at 11:31 AM ^
Why not just tell the NCAA to get bent? What can they do?
January 5th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
I had a co-worker once who was stopped by the cops for probably going 5-10 over the speed limit. The cop asked her "Do you know why I stopped you?" She said "Because I was the only one you could catch?" The cop had a good laugh at that, and let her off with a warning. It *was* a good line, but it also helped that she was the kind of sassy brunette who could get away with saying that.
In this case, the NCAA is the traffic cop, other schools are the other motorists, but we are most assuredly NOT the quick-witted charming brunette.
January 5th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Unless you're just the right amount of sassy, I don't recommend this response.
January 5th, 2023 at 3:09 PM ^
I wouldn't know, I've always skated through life on my abundant charm and chiseled good looks.
January 5th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
This is the most NCAA thing ever. It is the Wild West right now and we probably will reprimanded for the most dumb thing ever just so the NCAA can remind everyone they exist.