New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh left the NFL to coach at his alma mater in Ann Arbor. It took him nine years, but he eventually led the Wolverines to a national championship before making his way back to the NFL. That’s not all that Harbaugh did during his time at the University of Michigan, though.
Under Harbaugh’s leadership, a former staffer named Connor Stalions was revealed to have led an effort to capture the play-calling signals of future opponents. Investigation into the initial allegations led to several penalties being imposed by the NCAA. According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, Harbaugh is one of the parties targeted by the collegiate organization. He will be “charged with a Level 1 violation, the highest degree of penalty the NCAA can impose.”
Other coaches, including Stalions, Chris Partridge, and Denard Robinson also had Level 1 violations levied against them, while new Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore faces a Level 2 charge that could result in a suspension. The university itself also reportedly faces a Level 1 violation for an alleged “pattern of noncompliance within the football program” and efforts to obstruct the NCAA’s investigation.
With Harbaugh having departed for the NFL, NCAA violations don’t hold much weight. Should Harbaugh ever make the decision to return to the college ranks of coaching again, he may be forced to face the recourse for his actions and the actions of his staff.
Here are a couple other coaching rumors from around the league:
- Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden‘s most recent exit from the NFL has been a messy one, resulting in Gruden’s attempted lawsuit against the league and its commissioner. While Gruden may be at odds with the NFL, he has slowly been accepted back into NFL coaching circles. In 2023, he worked as a consultant with the Saints, and according to Michael David Smith of NBC Sports, Gruden has been seen doing work for the Chiefs this offseason. Gruden has been spotted working with head coach Andy Reid and several assistants while decked out in Chiefs gear. Reid and Gruden are connected from their time working together for the Packers from 1992 to 1994. There haven’t been any reports of Gruden officially joining the staff in Kansas City, so there’s a chance he was just a camp visitor today.
- Lastly, we could be seeing one of the latest instances of a former NFL player making their way into the coaching world. Per Zach Berman of PHLY, former NFL safety Anthony Harris has been working with the Eagles staff this summer. Harris spent six years of his eight-year career in Minnesota, where he once led the league in interceptions (6) despite only playing in 14 games. Following his time with the Vikings, Harris spent a season with Philadelphia as a starter for 14 games. He appeared in three games for the Broncos in 2022 before getting released and signing a free agent deal to return to Philadelphia, though he didn’t appear in any more contests with the Eagles. He remained a free agent all of last year and is technically one now. It’s unclear if he has any intentions to continue playing, seeing as he never officially retired, but if he’s trying his hand at coaching, it’s likely safe to say that his playing days are over.
Jim Harbaugh the biggest scumbag in college football treated like a hero by all his idiot admirers. So glad the NFL chose to pay him an exorbitant sum to bring his cheating ways to it. Nothing will be more fun than watching this ahole fail miserably and watching the owner who picked him whine like a baby.
lol, OSU fan
dude like you said blame the owner, if you want. the nfl doesn’t care what happend in the ncaa barring a Sandusky situation. dude will make a better team than what was left, last coaching staff couldn’t do much right. and I’m not a chargers fan at all
Biggest scumbag is Urban Meyer, next in line is Harbaugh.
So he’s the biggest scumbag because he beat your favorite team and your poor little feelings are still hurt about it. Jerry Sandusky molested kids. Art Briles tried to cover up rape. Urban Meyer tried to cover up domestic violence (as well as many other scumbag moves by Urban Liar) but yes stealing signs is so much worse than all of these things. Give me a break. A true scumbag is someone who would actually think or say something so ignorant. Which is you.
A scumbling is one who lets a girl young enough to be his daughter give him a lap dance in a crowded brain front of dozens of other patrons. A scumbag is a coach who ditches his teams flight home to get such sexually charged favors. A scumbag is a guy who walk by and whacks his kicker in the nuts with his foot. A scumbag is a guy with no filter for speaking to women. Enough?
Need more? He’s a scumbag because he verbally assaults teenagers who are trying to play football in college for a team he coaches. There is motivational yelling and there is using language that might cause mental problems. He’s a scumbag because he makes comments about young ladies of college age where others could hear it. I don’t care what you are thinking, just keep it in your head. Enough now?
Dude relax I was agreeing with you I was replying to the first comment. Work on your reading comprehension haha
I apologize. Most people on here tend to jump on me because I expect players to honor their signed contract and expect them to conduct themselves like men and not overgrown babies. We were in the middle of Hurricane Debby and I was a little on edge. And the fact Urban Meyer wasn’t a very good person when he was down here coaching. Sorry again.
No worries. I call him Urban Liar all the time because he is full of crap haha so I get it. Stay safe down there.
Let’s keep the angry honey badgers out of the house.
Say what u want bout Jim Harbaugh, he is intense but he’s won everywhere he’s been, in college n the pros. And I suspect he’ll start winning w/Chargers as soon as he molds the team w/his program. Love when he plays brother John cause neither one of em want to lose to the other.
This outrage over sign stealing is pathetic. It has been a part of every sport since people started using signals to communicate on the field.
If you’re worried about it, change your signs.
I don’t think the sign stealing itself is the issue. If you’re stealing signs knowing your opponent can (and probably will) change them, then you’re an idiot.
The real issue is the hypocrisy exhibited by Goodell when he yammers on about the “integrity of the game”. Apparently placing a bet threatens the integrity of the game but things like sign stealing, tampering violations and incompetent officiating don’t.
Free Gruden
Free him from what, his own incompetence as a leader of a football team?
SB champ. Blackballed. Get real.
Some teams win in spite of who is coaching them instead of because of them. Has he done anything since?
Lol. By your theory every coach is useless then. Kick rocks your argument is dumb.
The Patriots won 6 super bowls because of Brady. Has Belichick done anything since?
Sean Payton won his SB because of Brees. Has he done anything since?
Tomlin won his because of the defense. Has he done anything since?
McVay won his because of Stafford. Has he done anything since?
See how this works???
You just proved my point. Thank you.
Browns Backer
Get back in the closet where you belong.
You didn’t have a point. It was baseless nonsense. But whatever helps you sleep at night bud.
Number one, I’m not your bud. Number 2, you proved my point by pointing out that all of those coaches did nothing after leaving their winning team. I cannot help your brain doesn’t function well enough to comprehend my words.
Hahaha that’s how I know you’re upset… Bud, take a chill pill, smoke a J, enjoy a cold one….. Life’s not that serious. And for what it’s worth, the only thing you proved is that no head coach matters. Which I’ve been saying for years. Appreciate the validity, bud.
Isn’t that what I said? Some teams win in SPITE of their coach, NOT because of them. I will break the philosophy for you. Some teams do not win because of anything the coach the coach does, but because they are just so damn good or lucky they would win without anyone coaching them. You have proved my point twice. Do you not know what IN SPITE means? IN SPITE OF means, despite or regardless of. In other simple terms it means the coach could have done nothing or even told them the wrong thing to do and they would have won. Please purchase a dictionary for use when someone uses a word you don’t understand.
Hahahaha buddy you’re running yourself in circles here…
The NCAA is a joke. By the time Harbaugh wants to go back to the college game the major schools will have kicked the NCAA to the curb and formed their own governance.
Not sold on Harbaugh like most Charger fans, though I’ll hold criticism until he shows something.
League has become a passing first with run support generally speaking. Therefore his ‘run centric’ focus, both O and D, will validate his hire either way. Defending the run has been a bone of contention for the Bolts and needed fixing. Run focus on O eats clock if it’s successful and packs front 7 (D) to open back end – so theoretically might work then again might not.
As for college shenanigans – that’s been twisted for years which mirrors the general strata of businesses with foreign investing, media monies to promote athletics as the focus verses actual educational excellence. Still producing incompetence with a focus on ‘self’.
Come on, NCAA, do the right thing and dismiss the University of Michigan’s 2023 champion status. It’s never too late to do the right thing. UM should have never been playing in 2023 College Football Playoffs.
Do you always cry “that’s not fair” when things don’t go the way you hope? Sounds like it is long past time for you to grow up.