After seeing a sizable fourth-quarter lead slip away in Sunday’s 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens face a quick turnaround to Thursday night’s key clash with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore head coach’s brother, Jim Harbaugh, is dealing with plenty of turmoil himself at the University of Michigan.
What Is Happening With Jim Harbaugh?
Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan Wolverines have been mired in controversy for much of the 2023 season.
It began back in January when the NCAA sent Michigan a notice of allegations that Harbaugh had impermissible contact with recruits during NCAA-mandated dead periods, among other issues. Harbaugh ultimately served a three-game suspension for the matter to start the season after some back and forth with the NCAA.
Then the big news came out on Oct. 19, when news broke that the NCAA had notified the Big Ten conference and Michigan that it had received allegations the Wolverines were involved in a sign-stealing scheme. Michigan is alleged to have sent scouts to games of future opponents, which is prohibited by NCAA rules.
Scandals surrounding off-field analyst Connor Stalions’ involvement in the alleged sign-stealing operation emerged, and he later resigned.
The Big Ten then elected to suspend Harbaugh from coaching the remainder of Michigan’s regular-season games for violating the league’s sportsmanship policy, though he remains permitted to coach the team during the week and be present for all activities outside of games.
Harbaugh has denied having any knowledge of the alleged sign stealing.
What Did John Harbaugh Say About His Brother?
His brother, John Harbaugh, commented on the matter Tuesday.
“His phones, his computers, and all that stuff have been looked at, and he’s come through this thing with flying colors,” John Harbaugh told reporters.
“I don’t know what they are trying to get, but they don’t have anything of substance, and I just think I’m proud of him. I think it’s a real compliment to our family and to him, something for us to be proud of.”
Harbaugh further said that the NCAA does not “have anything of substance” against his brother, according to The Athletic.
MORE: NFL Head Coach Rankings 2023
Michigan is currently 10-0 on the season, ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 3 in the College Football Playoff committee’s rankings.
The Wolverines have lost in the CFP semifinals in each of the last two years to Georgia and TCU, respectively. They could also notch the program’s 1,000th win in history with a victory over Maryland on Saturday.
Jim, who previously coached the San Francisco 49ers, has long been rumored to be interested in a return to the NFL ranks after taking over at Michigan in 2015. Speculation has emerged that the current NCAA controversy could push Harbaugh further in that direction this offseason.
Time will tell what Jim Harbaugh’s future holds, but his Michigan program has come under the microscope this season and appears unlikely to leave it anytime soon.
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