Jim Harbaugh’s attorney accused the NCAA of hypocrisy regarding a proposal to give college football coaches more leeway.
Per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports , the NCAA Football Oversight Committee introduced legislation last month that would allow all staffers to instruct players during practices and games. The committee will vote in May on the proposal, which failed to pass last year.
Tom Mars claimed the NCAA is working to legalize something it recently condemned Michigan for doing.
“Here we go again. Michigan just entered into a negotiated resolution with the NCAA pleading ‘guilty’ to errant analysts giving instructions on the field and was punished accordingly,” Mars wrote . “A week later, the NCAA issues a proposal to change the rules to allow analysts to do just that.”
Michigan and five current and former staffers reached an agreement with the NCAA pertaining to impermissible in-person recruiting and tryouts held during the COVID-19 dead period. The school received a fine, recruiting restrictions, and a three-year probation.
As part of the resolution, Michigan acknowledged that Jim Harbaugh “failed to meet his responsibility to cooperate” with the NCAA’s investigation into those recruiting violations.
Mars said he filed a response on his client’s behalf that “will probably never see the light of day” and “concluded Coach Harbaugh’s participation in the case.”
Michigan’s recruiting violations resulted in one of two three-game suspensions Harbaugh served during his final season at Ann Arbor. He also missed the final three games of the regular season amid Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal.
While lifting an opponent’s signs isn’t illegal, former staffer Connor Stallions allegedly purchased tickets to games involving other Big Ten teams. In-person scouting violates NCAA rules.