Jim Harbaugh will serve as Michigan’s honorary captain for the season opener.
Jim Harbaugh will return to Michigan Stadium for the Wolverines’ season opener. The former Michigan coach has agreed to be the honorary captain for the Wolverines’ game against Fresno State on August 31.
“I’m excited to have him back in Ann Arbor for that game,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in an interview on the “1 Star Recruits” podcast.
Harbaugh departed from Michigan to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers after guiding the Wolverines to a national championship last season.
Earlier this week, the NCAA imposed a four-year show-cause penalty on Jim Harbaugh for making impermissible contact with recruits and players during the COVID-19 pandemic, when access was restricted. This penalty effectively bars him from coaching college football until 2028. The NCAA stated that Harbaugh “engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance, and violated head coach responsibility obligations.”
This case is separate from the NCAA’s ongoing investigation into allegations of impermissible in-person scouting and sign-stealing from last season, which led to the Big Ten Conference suspending Harbaugh for three games. The sign-stealing investigation remains unresolved.
On Thursday, when asked about the sanctions, Harbaugh avoided discussing the penalties.
“I’m not going to comment further,” he said. “But my hope is that one day college athletics will prioritize what’s best for the young men and women who participate. That’s really all I have to say.”
