Jim Harbaugh, the former Michigan football head coach who led the Wolverines to the 2023 national championship, has been suspended for one year and hit with a four-year show-cause order by the NCAA after he was found to have demonstrated both “unethical conduct” and a failure to promote “an atmosphere of compliance” as it pertains to an investigation into impermissible recruiting during a COVID-19 dead period in 2021

The NCAA released its 48-page document in its entirety Wednesday and specified "this decision solely relates to Harbaugh's conduct" after the school and five staffers had already agreed to a three-year probation in April which included a $5,000 fine plus 1% of its football budget and a handful of recruiting sanctions.

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This dates back to 2021, when U-M approached the NCAA enforcement staff to discuss its discovery about "non-coaching staff members' participation in coaching activities." After review, Michigan and Harbaugh were found to have committed violations, with more specifics about the alleged wrongdoings by the former head coach, who was charged with a Level I violation for "misleading investigators."

The NCAA says it's because he changed his story.

"During the investigation in this case, Harbaugh denied meeting with the two prospects," the report reads. "Initially, he told Michigan and the enforcement staff that he had no recollection of meeting either prospect or their fathers.

"In a subsequent interview he went further, unequivocally disputing that either meeting happened. Despite his denials, the weight of the factual information—including statements from the prospects, their fathers, and other football staff members, as well as documentation such as receipts and expense reports—demonstrates that Harbaugh was physically present and engaged in these meetings."

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The Free Press obtained the official Notice of Allegations (NOA) via open records request last week; it stated U-M, Harbaugh and a number of staff members had impermissible contact with a trio of recruits and allowed them access to the team’s facilities back in 2021.

The show-cause order will run effective immediately, from Aug. 7, 2024-Aug. 6, 2028. Should he leave his current position as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and return to the college ranks in any capacity during this specified window, Harbaugh would be suspended for the first season he returned.

The show-cause penalty is so a coach can't simply move schools within the NCAA to avoid punishment. Because of the ruling, during the show-cause timeline, Harbaugh is "barred from all athletically related activities, including team travel, practice, video study, recruiting and team meetings."

According to the findings, Harbaugh "refused to participate in a hearing" before the committee of infractions. Originally, he was charged with Level II violations like the rest of the staff, but later the NCAA "found that denying his conduct, which was plainly supported by the record, Harbaugh violated NCAA ethical conduct legislation" which subsequently amplified the severity of his case.

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“Head coaches are presumed responsible for violations that occur within their programs,” the release continues. “Due to Harbaugh’s personal involvement in the violations and his failure to monitor his staff, he could not rebut the presumption, resulting in a violation of head coach responsibility rules.”

When Harbaugh's attorney Tom Mars was asked for comment, he directed the Free Press to a post on X he shared Wednesday.

"The way I see it, from coach Harbaugh's perspective, today's COI decision is like being in college and getting a letter from your high school saying you've been suspended because you didn't sign the yearbook," Mars began. "If I were in Coach Harbaugh's shoes and had an $80 million contract as head coach of the Chargers, I wouldn't pay any attention to the findings of a kangaroo court which claims to represent the principles of the nation's most flagrant, repeat violator of the federal antitrust lawsuit."

Meanwhile, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel downplayed the latest NCAA report, saying the school has already accepted the associated sanctions.

"Today’s announcement mirrors the resolution we negotiated with the NCAA enforcement staff that was subsequently accepted by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in April 2024," Manuel said in a statement Wednesday. "We have accepted the sanctions and have already served many of the penalties outlined in the findings. Our staff has worked to improve processes and we are focused on the future and our commitment to integrity and compliance."

Here's the entire 48-page ruling from the NCAA:

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jim Harbaugh sanctioned for 4 years, suspended for 1 year by NCAA