The NFL won’t be an easy escape route for Jim Harbaugh if he chooses to return to the pros.
With the Michigan coach under fire after Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions was suspended for an alleged illegal sign-stealing scheme, it remains to be seen if Harbaugh, who denied having any knowledge of the alleged plot, will face a suspension.
If he does and he wants to return to the NFL, the league would likely make Harbaugh serve a suspension, according to NFL.com.
Harbaugh, who has been Michigan’s head coach since 2015, served a school-issued three-game suspension earlier this year for alleged recruiting violations during a restricted COVID-19 period and for not cooperating with investigators.
When former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor faced a five-game ban for trading memorabilia for cash and tattoos, the NFL made Pryor serve the ban after he was selected by the Raiders in the 2011 supplemental draft.
And when former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was suspended five games over the scandal and resigned to become a consultant for the Colts, Indianapolis kept Tressel out until Week 7.
Harbaugh, 59, interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Vikings and Broncos in the past two offseasons, respectively.
As the 49ers head coach, he led the team to three consecutive NFC Championship games, reaching the Super Bowl in the 2012 season, when he lost to his brother, John Harbaugh, and the Ravens.
Harbaugh was asked in September about his interest in the NFL and he released a statement in response through Michigan’s media relations department, saying, “My wife, dad or brother, the people I trust the most, would be the only individuals that I would speak with regarding my future, and we have not had that conversation.”
Harbaugh and his program allegedly scouted future in-season opponents in person, according to a report by Yahoo Sports, which has been prohibited in college for decades.
“I do not have any knowledge or information regarding the University of Michigan football program illegally stealing signals, nor have I directed any staff member or others to participate in an off-campus scouting assignment,” he said in a statement. “I have no awareness of anyone on our staff having done that or having directed that action. I do not condone or tolerate anyone doing anything illegal or against NCAA rules.”
The NCAA has not yet ruled a punishment for the recruiting violations and non-cooperation with investigators, and if another violation among his staff emerges from the alleged sign-stealing case, it could lead to a longer suspension.
Harbaugh was a former NFL quarterback, playing for the Bears, Colts, Ravens and Chargers.
Michigan currently sits 8-0 this season and is ranked No. 2 in the nation.