Jim Harbaugh owes Conor Stalions a significant debt of gratitude.
Conor Stalions, the recruiting analyst at the center of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, is no longer associated with the Wolverines. He parted ways with the football program on Friday night after initially being suspended. Stalions officially began working with Michigan in May 2022, but he had been serving the Wolverines as a volunteer assistant since 2015, as indicated by his now-deleted LinkedIn profile.
Initially, reports suggested that Stalions had been terminated, but Michigan later stated that he resigned from his position.
In his first public comment since the NCAA launched an investigation into the controversy, Stalions issued a statement to The Athletic late Friday night regarding his tenure with the Wolverines.
Stalions said, “I love the University of Michigan and its football program. And I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with the incredible student-athletes, Coach Harbaugh, and the other coaches who have been a part of the Michigan football family during my tenure. I do not want to be a distraction from what I hope to be a championship run for the team, and I will continue to cheer them on.”
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Stalions’s agent, Brad Beckworth, also issued a statement to The Athletic, asserting that neither Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh nor any member of his staff had any knowledge of wrongdoing.
“He hopes his resignation will help the team and coaching staff focus on tomorrow’s game and the remainder of the season,” Beckworth stated. “Connor also wants to make it clear that, to his knowledge, neither Coach Harbaugh, nor any other coach or staff member, told anyone to break any rules or were aware of improper conduct regarding the recent allegations of advanced scouting.”
When the NCAA’s investigation became public last month, Harbaugh denied any awareness of Stalions’s actions and pledged full cooperation with the investigation. Since then, the NCAA has dispatched investigators to Ann Arbor to interview the coaching staff as the investigation has intensified.
The question arises: How long will it be before Harbaugh takes his coaching talents to the NFL sidelines?
