Jim Harbaugh comments for first time since suspension, will seek ‘due process’ in court Friday
Monday afternoon, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke publicly for the first time since the Big Ten suspended him for three regular-season games on Friday.
Monday afternoon, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke publicly for the first time since the Big Ten suspended him for three regular-season games on Friday. The suspension was due to the Big Ten ruling a violation of its sportsmanship policy over alleged improper scouting practices taken by Michigan analyst Connor Stalions.
Though Harbaugh was tight-lipped about his views on the suspension, he did assert that he would likely speak at a court hearing on Friday in Washtenaw, and hinted that he was looking forward to offering his side while he and Michigan seek a restraining order that would nullify the Big Ten’s three-game suspension.
“I’m going to talk on Friday. I’m just looking for that opportunity for due process,” Harbaugh said. “Not looking for special treatment, looking for a popularity contest. Just looking for the merit of what the case is. Senior year of high school, had a civics class and talking about government justice, and what I took away from that class was that you’re innocent until proven guilty. That was 40 years ago, but I’d like that opportunity.”
Later in the press conference, Harbaugh clarified that he doesn’t know for certain that he’ll speak, but that he will be in attendance.
“I don’t know exactly how it’s how it’s gonna go,” Harbaugh said. “I’m gonna be able to go though. I don’t know if I’m gonna be … that’s not my dance floor. You know, I’m not the attorney. Always wanted to be, watched a lot of shows watch Judge Judy a lot. But always kind of felt like it’d be cool to get up there and thunder away at a jury like Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men.”
Though Michigan has been in cooperation with the NCAA in its investigation into Michigan’s scouting, the Wolverines have taken issue with the Big Ten’s ruling. Michigan’s initial arguments were that there is little to no precedent of delivering a suspension to a head coach before an investigation is complete, that Harbaugh has yet to be implicated by the NCAA for being aware of Stalions’ actions, and that the timing of the suspension — while the team was flying to State College less than 24 hours before it kicked off against No. 10 Penn State — was unfair. 
“(Friday), under the guise of the NCAA Rule regarding Head Coach Responsibility the Big Ten decided to penalize Coach Harbaugh without knowing all the facts, and I find that completely unethical, insulting to a well-established process within the NCAA, and an assault on the rights of everyone (especially in the Big Ten) to be judged by a fair and complete investigation,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “Not liking someone or another university or believing without any evidence that they knew or saying someone should have known without an investigation is not grounds to remove someone from their position before the NCAA process has reached a conclusion.
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