There appears to be no love lost between Jim Harbaugh and the NCAA.
As the former Michigan coach prepares to make his grand return to the NFL this week, the national championship winner didn’t hold back one bit when it came to his feelings on college football’s governing body.
“They’ve been keeping money away from players for decades,” Harbaugh told ESPN.com. “They just got hit with a $2.7 billion lawsuit. They have no credibility. That’s the truth.”
Harbaugh addressed the NCAA’s notice of allegations against his alma mater earlier this offseason with a prepared statement that maintained his innocence in regards to the Connor Stalions investigation.
“Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. I was raised with that lesson,” the newly-minted Chargers HC said.
“I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams that I have coached. No one is perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and you make it right,” Harbaugh explained. “Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate, was not aware nor complicit in those said allegations. So, it’s back to work and attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”
Last month, the NCAA announced a toothless four-year ban that barred the ex-Wolverines coach from college athletics after he had already left for the NFL.
Clearly the bitterness appears to go both ways.
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