Jim Harbaugh, the newly appointed head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, remains embroiled in the Michigan football sign-stealing controversy despite his relocation to the NFL.
Allegations have surfaced involving his former offensive coordinator and successor at Michigan, Sherrone Moore, prompting Harbaugh to vehemently defend his integrity.
In a forceful statement, Harbaugh emphasized his adherence to ethical principles.
“Never Lie. Never cheat. Never steal,” Harbaugh said. “I was raised with that lesson. I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams that I’ve coached.
“No one’s perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and you make it right. Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate, was not aware nor complicit in those said allegations.
“So for me, it’s back to work and attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”
Harbaugh, the 2021 AP College Football Coach of the Year, continues to deny any involvement in the scandal, which centers around former off-field analyst Connor Stalions.
Stalions allegedly purchased tickets to games featuring Michigan’s future opponents and illicitly scouted and recorded footage to decipher in-game signals.
The NCAA’s notice of allegations accuses Sherrone Moore of deleting a thread of 52 text messages between himself and Stalions.
Harbaugh, along with other former staff members, faces potential Level 1 violations for allegedly obstructing the NCAA’s access to “relevant messages and phone records.”
Despite not being directly linked to any misconduct, Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten Conference for the final three games of the regular season.
In his absence, Moore served as interim head coach and successfully led the Wolverines to maintain their perfect season, culminating in a dominant national title victory over the Washington Huskies in January.
While Harbaugh has shifted his focus to revitalizing the Chargers and getting reacquainted to the NFL world, the drama and cloud of suspicion continues to follow him.
Some fans have accused Harbaugh of “running away” from Ann Arbor and leaving Moore to deal with the mess.
However, as Harbaugh repeatedly states, he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing within the program whatsoever.
But do you believe him???
