Santa Ono Doubles Down On Support For Michigan Football Coach

With the sign-stealing news starting to die down following the Wolverines’ 30-24 win over Ohio State, Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh is set to return to the sideline this weekend against No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten title game. Amid scandal, NFL rumors, and more, second-year U-M President Santa Ono is standing firm in his support for Harbaugh and doubles down on his stance regarding the school’s 9th-year head football coach.

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh ready to make return for the Big Ten title game

Only one game remains until the Maize and Blue will be crowned Big Ten Champions for the third season in a row. When the Wolverines take the field against the No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, Jim Harbaugh will finally be re-joining the team on the sideline; in fact, this will be the first game since Michigan’s 41-13 win over Purdue that Harbaugh will be present for.

Santa Ono loves having Harbaugh lead the Maize and Blue

Leading up to this weekend’s conference title showdown, which could send Michigan football to the College Football Playoff for the third season in a row, U-M President Santa Ono reiterated his strong belief that Jim Harbaugh is the right man to lead the Wolverines, making it abundantly clear that he trusts Harbaugh wholeheartedly.

“It’s true that he has been on the sideline for six games, but we won all six of those games,” Santa Ono said, per ClickOnDetroit. “I want to say: It’s really a credit to him. The coaches talked to me about that situation and have said he knows nothing about what happened, and I trust him. He’s a man of honor. Everyone who knows him knows that. It’s an ongoing investigation. We’ll see what happens.

“But I want to say very, very clearly, and it’s no secret to people, that I trust the guy. I think he’s one of the great coaches out there in the NFL or in NCAA, and the football team loves him, and his coaches love him. I think the greatest sign of a great coach is that the team wins whether or not he’s on the sideline.”

Will Jim Harbaugh be coaching Michigan in 2024 despite NFL rumors and more?

Ono added that, pending the investigation’s results, he hopes that Jim Harbaugh will still be coaching Michigan football comes next fall. Of course, Ono’s statements come a the same time as reports that link NFL teams to heavy interest in hiring Harbaugh.

“We’ll just wait and see how this whole thing goes,” he said. “(Jim Harbaugh) is going to be back with us for the (Big Ten title) game this Saturday, and the next couple of games, and we’re going to get a win, a big win. They say three touchdowns, so I believe that. … “I hope (Harbaugh will be coaching Michigan football next year). Like I said, we have to wait and see what happens with all these investigations. He is a great coach and means a lot to the institution.”

Michigan is a true contender this fall

Regardless of the outside noise and more, Michigan football has a shot at winning its third straight outright Big Ten title — something the program is yet to accomplish, largely due to the pre-title game era where teams would frequently share titles.

For now, all eyes in Ann Arbor are fixated on one thing: winning the national title. To accomplish this, Michigan must get past Iowa and — finally — win a CFP game to contend for the program’s first championship since 1997.

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