REPORT: Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh expected to be suspended 4 games

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Today, it was reported by many sources that Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh, who has led his program to two-straight Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances this decade, will likely not be with his Wolverines for the first four games of the 2023 season. This comes from the NCAA, which has been investigating Harbaugh for Level 1 violations during the 2020 recruiting dead period.

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh suspended for 4 games, per reports

Michigan is set to be without Jim Harbaugh for 4 games due to recruiting violations pic.twitter.com/0z1bHlHyCo

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 25, 2023

Jim Harbaugh is one of the top head coaches in college football, and while his violations may appear small, the NCAA disagrees. Today, it was reported that Jim Harbaugh will likely be suspended for the first four games of the 2023 season, leaving the Wolverines to find a new Week 1 head coach.

The good news for Michigan football is that the Wolverines’ first four games are all very winnable — Michigan kicks off the new season with three straight easy non-conference games before hosting Rutgers in Week 4. Still, not seeing Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines will be an odd sight for Wolverines fans.

The last time Jim Harbaugh was not the in-game head coach for Michigan football was during the Wolverines’ loss in Columbus against Ohio State back in 2014 — the final game of the Brady Hoke era. While this should not have a profound impact on Michigan’s final record, it is frustrating to see for Michigan football and should be used as motivation within the locker room.

These terms have not been fully passed by the NCAA yet, though it appears that there is a good chance that it will pass through the NCAA’s committee ahead of the new season.

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