Potential punishments emerge for Jim Harbaugh regarding Michigan NCAA violations

Just as Jim Harbaugh announced he “expects” to be the head coach at Michigan next year amid NFL rumors Thursday, a report surfaced saying the program is under investigation for NCAA violations. More details emerged Thursday night — including what a potential penalty could look like.

The Wolverines are under investigation for letting an analyst coach players and impermissible text messages, The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach and Austin Meek reported. As it turns out, those text messages were sent during the COVID-19 dead period, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg and Mark Schlabach reported Thursday night.

However, Harbaugh could be looking at a possible suspension for his cooperation with NCAA enforcement, according to ESPN. That’s also being looked at as part of the inquiry, and the potential suspension could be for multiple games.

Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel provided even more context to the situation. He reported Michigan committed four Level II violations, which are considered minor. However, Harbaugh misled investigators when asked about them, which is a Level I violation and why he’s looking at a possible suspension.

The Athletic initially reported Michigan self-reported the violations.

“Three sources who have knowledge of the investigation confirmed it included self-reported violations involving an analyst coaching players on the field,” Auerbach and Meek wrote. “It is unclear what the punishment from the NCAA would be.”

The news of the violations comes just a few hours after Harbaugh appeared to reaffirm his commitment to coaching at Michigan next year. His name is once again coming up in NFL circles, one year after his dance with the Minnesota Vikings, and he put out a definitive statement about that speculation. He reportedly spoke with the Carolina Panthers after Michigan’s season ended at the hands of TCU last week, although it wasn’t a job interview.

Harbaugh is planning to be in Ann Arbor next season.

“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.’”