Jim Harbaugh's attorney rips the NCAA to shreds after NCAA punishment against former Wolverines' HC

While it's hard to make light of a severe punishment from the NCAA, Harbaugh's attorney had a great take.

Trent Knoop | Aug 7, 2024

Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; pMichigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh walks onto the field rior to the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch Ncaa Football Michigan Wolverines At Ohio State Buckeyes / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The NCAA finally got what it wanted, it finally hit Jim Harbaugh with the proverbial hammer. On Wednesday, Jim Harbaugh was hit with a four-year show cause and a one-year suspension if he ever chose to return to the college football ranks as a coach. This all stems from the COVID-19 dead period in which Harbaugh "violated recruiting and inducement rules, engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations", according to the NCAA.

The show cause begins on Wednesday, August 7th, 2024, and will end four years from now. If Harbaugh would choose to come back to coach college, he would serve a season suspension and couldn't attend any athletic events, meetings, or any team activities.

Harbaugh left Michigan after winning a national championship last season and is back in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. It's unlikely Harbaugh ever coaches in the college ranks again, let alone within the next four years. Tom Mars, Harbaugh's long-time attorney, went to X(Twitter) and ripped the NCAA to shreds after the news was released. He compared Harbaugh's suspension to someone being in college and getting suspended by their former high school -- a place they no longer attend.

"The way I see it, from Coach Harbaugh's perspective, today's COI decision is like being in your college and getting a letter from your high school saying you've been suspended because you didn't sign the yearbook.

If I were in Coach Harbaugh's shoes and had an $80 million contract as a 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 laws."

My thoughts on today’s NCAA decision re Coach Harbaugh. 🦘⚖️ https://t.co/eMtUdIgXK5 pic.twitter.com/4LvPtXnxUj
— Tom Mars (@TomMarsLaw) August 7, 2024

It's difficult to make light of any sort of suspension, but with Harbaugh now in the NFL and is no longer even considering coaching college football, is the joke really on the NCAA?

Here are some other great reactions:

The NCAA got very tough and dropped the hammer here ... on a coach who no longer works in college football. https://t.co/52RjtVARht
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) August 7, 2024

Jim Harbaugh wins a National Title and helps deliver the reform that'll be the eventual death blow to the NCAA (revenue sharing & a record $2.8 billion settlement).

After he jumps to the NFL, NCAA puffs out its chest and gives him a four-year show cause?

Big mad. Big, big mad.
— Scott Bell (@sbell021) August 7, 2024