Jim Harbaugh (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Jim Harbaugh has received a lengthy suspension following his departure from Michigan.

The former Wolverines head coach, who returned to the NFL this year after guiding the program to a national championship last season, has been handed a one-season suspension and a four-year show-cause order by the NCAA.

The scary thing about this is it has nothing to do with the more recent sign-stealing scandal.

The punishment results from the new Los Angeles Chargers head coach violating recruiting regulations as he is deemed to have made contact with recruits and players while it was restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

College football’s governing body has stated that Harbaugh “engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations.”

Of course, the sanctions will not affect Harbaugh while he’s coaching in the NFL. However, they will come into play if he opts to return to college.

The order, which covers 2024-28, would require any school intent on hiring Harbaugh to suspend him for the first full season. He would then be prevented from participating in athletics-related activities, including practice, film study, travel, recruiting, and team meetings until the order expires.

Jim Harbaugh’s Replacement Could Face Sanctions 

The NCAA’s sign-stealing investigation is still ongoing, which suggests that harsher punishment could be dished out if Michigan is found to be culpable.

Current Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore is also facing consequences as he has been accused of violating NCAA rules regarding the aforementioned scouting and sign-stealing investigation. It’s alleged that the former offensive coordinator deleted a thread containing 52 messages exchanged with former staffer Sonnor Stalions, the man at the center of the probe.

Moore served as head coach for four games, for which Jim Harbaugh was suspended. He won all of them, including a significant fixture against rival Ohio State.

He was promoted to full-time HC following Harbaugh’s decision to return to the pros.