The NCAA handed down a four-year show-cause order for former Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh after determining the coach had impermissible contact with recruits and players during the COVID-19 restricted period. 

The organization determined Harbaugh “engaged in unethical conduct, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and violated head coach responsibility obligations.”  The governing body also ruled that Harbaugh was not truthful with investigators about meeting with recruits during the moratorium.

Despite the sanctions that were placed on Harbaugh, Michigan revealed plans to welcome back its national championship winning coach as an honorary captain for the football team’s home opener later this month. The Wolverines host Fresno State on Aug. 31.

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Newly appointed head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers speaks to the media during a press conference at YouTube Theater on February 01, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel expressed excitement about hosting Harbaugh in Ann Arbor to help kick off the 2024 season.

“I look forward to seeing him,” Manuel said during an appearance on the 1 Star Recruits podcast this week. “He’ll be an honorary captain for our first game. I look forward to having him back in Ann Arbor for that game.”

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Although Harbaugh will be effectively barred from coaching at the college football level for the next few years, he is currently focused on preparing the Los Angeles Chargers for the upcoming regular season. 

Harbaugh coached the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff national championship in January. Just over two weeks later, he was named the next head coach of the Chargers. 

Michigan was previously placed on probation for three years and fined. The football program also faces recruiting limits, all of which were included in a negotiated resolution in the case.

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh instructs on the field during the first day of training camp at The Bolt. (Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports)

Harbaugh also missed Michigan’s 2023 season opener due to a three-game suspension the university self-imposed as part of the recruiting investigation. 

The recruiting case is separate from the NCAA’s investigation into impermissible in-person scouting and sign-stealing allegations that cast a shadow over Michigan’s undefeated 2023 campaign. The Big Ten Conference ultimately suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the 2023 regular season amid the fallout from the alleged advanced scouting scheme.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines walks the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on October 9, 2021 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Connor Stalions is at the center of a probe into an off-campus scouting operation. Stalions, who has not cooperated with the NCAA in its investigation, will break his silence Aug. 27 on Netflix when the documentary “Untold: Sign Stealer” makes its debut on the streaming service.

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Sherrone Moore was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach after Harbaugh bolted for the NFL. He handled the head coaching duties on multiple occasions while Harbaugh served his suspensions last season.

But, Moore is also facing his own allegations as he is suspected of violating NCAA rules related to the investigation into the sign-stealing scandal, sources told The Associated Press.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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