Jim Harbaugh has mostly refrained from discussing his tumultuous time at Michigan since taking the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers, but recently, he couldn’t resist taking a parting shot at the NCAA. The former Michigan Wolverines head coach addressed the lingering issues surrounding his old program and his frustrations with the governing body of college athletics.
Last year, Harbaugh finally secured the elusive national championship he had been chasing since taking over at Michigan in 2015. That victory was arguably the crowning achievement of his college coaching career and a significant factor in his decision to return to the NFL as head coach of the Chargers. However, while the championship was a high point, his departure from Ann Arbor was also colored by controversy, with multiple scandals casting a shadow over his tenure.
One of the most significant issues still haunting the Michigan program is the Connor Stalions scandal, which remains the focus of an ongoing NCAA investigation. Additionally, Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan was marked by recruiting violations that eventually led to sanctions. The fallout from these violations was severe enough that, had Harbaugh stayed in the college ranks, he would have faced a suspension for the entirety of the current season.
Harbaugh has consistently maintained his innocence in relation to the recruiting violations, and he reiterated this stance during Chargers training camp in August. At the time, he expressed little interest in revisiting the controversies, preferring to focus on his NFL future. Yet, in a recent interview with ESPN, which centered on his efforts to revamp the culture in Los Angeles, Harbaugh couldn’t help but share his thoughts on the NCAA and the state of college athletics.
In classic Harbaugh fashion, the outspoken coach didn’t mince words when discussing the credibility of the NCAA, a body he believes has failed its athletes for years. He pointed to the long-standing practice of restricting financial benefits to college athletes as evidence of the organization’s flawed system.
“They’ve been keeping money away from players for decades,” Harbaugh said. “They just got hit with a $2.7 billion lawsuit. They have no credibility. That’s the truth.”
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Harbaugh’s criticism comes at a time when the NCAA is facing increasing pressure, not only from legal challenges but also from the broader debate surrounding players’ rights and compensation. In recent years, the organization has been forced to adapt as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals have reshaped the landscape of college sports, allowing athletes to profit off their own personal brands. Harbaugh’s remarks reflect his long-held belief that the NCAA’s governance has failed to evolve with the times, and his frustration with the organization has only grown in the wake of his own dealings with them.
Though Harbaugh has moved on to the NFL, where he hopes to replicate his college success with the Chargers, the scandals that marked the end of his Michigan career remain unresolved. The Connor Stalions investigation continues, and the NCAA’s inquiry into recruiting violations has left a stain on the Wolverines’ program that could affect it for years to come.
Harbaugh’s departure from college football may have been accelerated by these issues, but his criticisms of the NCAA suggest that his frustrations with the institution run deeper than the scandals themselves. For Harbaugh, it seems, the NCAA’s handling of players’ rights, financial matters, and investigations has long been a point of contention.
While Harbaugh is now focused on his new role in the NFL, his parting words for the NCAA make it clear that his departure from college football was not without bitterness. As he sets his sights on building a winning team in Los Angeles, he leaves behind a complicated legacy in Ann Arbor—one marked by both success and controversy. Whether the NCAA can regain the credibility Harbaugh believes it has lost remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the coach has made it clear he’s not looking back.
In typical Jim Harbaugh fashion, his blunt assessment of the NCAA is likely to resonate with fans and players who have long questioned the organization’s practices. Whether or not Harbaugh’s criticisms will lead to any changes in college sports remains to be seen, but for now, he seems content to let his words speak for themselves.
