Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and the NCAA are working toward a four-game suspension as part of a negotiated resolution after he allegedly made false statements to investigators over recruiting violations, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported on Tuesday.
Dellenger reported that the agreement is not finalized and must be approved by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
The looming suspension and resolution are the result of an NCAA investigation into Harbaugh and other members of the football coaching staff. Enforcement officials alleged that Harbaugh was dishonest in initial meetings with investigators, but Harbaugh maintained he was never purposefully dishonest.
Per the NCAA, the punishment Harbaugh is facing for lying would be greater than the punishment for the recruiting violations. Last year, the NCAA cited Michigan with four Level II violations, which are defined as “less than a substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage.”
Lying to investigators, on the other hand, is a Level I violation, which is the most severe on the NCAA’s scale. Those violations could carry a six-game suspension and notable recruiting restrictions.
Harbaugh is not the only Michigan coach facing punishment. Dellenger reported that former Wolverines defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, now the defensive coordinator for Jim’s brother, John, with the Baltimore Ravens, is expected to get a one-year show-cause penalty. The penalty would make it harder for Macdonald to return to the college ranks.
Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and tight ends coach Grant Newsome are also expected to face sanctions, Dellenger reported.
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The Wolverines’ open the season on Sept. 2 and their first four games are at home. Three of them are against Group of Five teams – East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green – ahead of their Big Ten opener against Rutgers on Sept. 23. The team is coming off a 13-win season in which it won the Big Ten title and reached the College Football Playoff.
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