Pathetic Jim Harbaugh Suspension Lets Michigan off the Hook

The NCAA announced a suspension for former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh on Wednesday, suspending the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers for one year if he returns to college coaching along with a four-year show-cause order.

This punishment is unrelated to the sign-stealing allegations, centering instead on Harbaugh's lack of cooperation with the NCAA and "impermissible recruiting contacts and inducements during the COVID-19 dead period."

While the announcement puts blame at Harbaugh's feet, it fails to hold Michigan accountable. Harbaugh was never coming back anyway, so this punishment ultimately accomplishes little while the Wolverines get to parade around as defending champions.

Jim Harbaugh Suspension Fails to Hold Michigan Accountable

In a statement, the NCAA said that Harbaugh "engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations."

The university is on a three-year probation period and suffered recruiting limits as well as an imposed fine, but the alleged violations are far more significant than the slap on the wrist the NCAA ultimately levied.

"The panel noted that Harbaugh’s intentional disregard for NCAA legislation and unethical conduct amplified the severity of the case and prompted the panel to classify Harbaugh’s case as Level I-Aggravated, with penalties to include a four-year show-cause order," the NCAA's statement continued. "Subsumed in the show-cause order is a one-season suspension for Harbaugh."

Harbaugh disputed the allegations and maintains his innocence. Even still, none of this ultimately matters for the Chargers' new leader. At 60 years old, he intends to stay with Los Angeles until retirement. If things don't work out and he loses the job, Harbaugh should have plenty of suitors in the NFL after proving himself at virtually every stop of his career.

For Buckeyes fans reeling from watching their hated rival win a championship, Wednesday's announcement should leave a sour taste in their mouths. Harbaugh got to have his cake and eat it too, while Michigan doesn't face any true significant penalties for the violations.

The NCAA fell short once again. With this punishment, the institution effectively told the country that cheaters do, in fact, prosper.

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