Oscar Goes to Former Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh

Do new arrivals in Los Angeles automatically receive Screen Actors Guild cards, or do they have to earn them? Jim Harbaugh showcased a truly impressive performance in front of the media this past Monday, and whether by sheer osmosis or from high-level training, the former “Michigan man” delivered a noteworthy show in a city famous for such theatrics.

The head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and former leader of the Wolverines firmly denied once more his involvement in the University of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal. This came in the wake of last weekend’s announcement implicating Sherrone Moore, the new Wolverines head coach and Harbaugh’s former assistant, along with six other staffers from Michigan’s 2023 national championship team, in violating NCAA regulations.

Allegedly, Moore deleted 52 text messages with former Michigan analyst Connor Stalions on the very day that media outlets revealed Stalions as the chief architect behind an illicit off-field sign-stealing operation.

Recent findings from the NCAA investigation further corroborate the existence of this sign-stealing scheme. Any denials would imply that Stalions resigned for no apparent reason, multiple assistant coaches departed or were dismissed during or after the season for nothing, and the NCAA fabricated both Level-I and Level-II violations against Michigan’s football program without cause.

Though the NCAA’s history in conducting investigations is far from exemplary and often criticized, fabricating evidence isn’t among their usual faults. Despite their significant procedural shortcomings, they don’t typically manufacture details and information arbitrarily.

However, there’s enough circumstantial evidence surrounding this investigation to suggest at least a partial acknowledgment of some misconduct. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which Harbaugh was entirely unaware of what was happening.

Nonetheless, Harbaugh zealously denied any involvement during his Monday morning press conference, evoking memories of Col. Nathan R. Jessup as performed by Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men.”

He introduced a faux confession, only to emphatically retract it with a full denial of any wrongdoing.

“Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. I was raised with that lesson,” he stated, seemingly reading from a prepared script but delivering it flawlessly. “I have raised my family on that lesson. I have preached that lesson to the teams that I have coached. No one is perfect. If you stumble, you apologize and make it right. Today, I do not apologize. I did not participate, was not aware, nor complicit in those said allegations.”

To the untrained observer, it was a performance deserving of a lead role in a high school play. As I watched him deliver his meticulously crafted diatribe, I couldn’t help but envision him on the verge of a moment akin to Col. Jessup’s iconic courtroom scene.

“You conceived the sign-stealing idea, developed the plan, executed the gameday operations, and when it failed, you severed ties with those involved,” a hypothetical interrogator could have said. “You orchestrated Stalions’ resignation, obstructed the NCAA, instructed Moore and others to erase all past communications with the low-level assistant, and now I’m asking you, did you order the sign-stealing?”

In a fictional dialogue, Harbaugh might retort, “Do you want answers?”

“I want the truth!” the hypothetical interrogator might demand.

“You can’t handle the truth!” Harbaugh could loudly and angrily reply.

Perhaps I’m stretching it a bit, but Harbaugh and Col. Jessup share some similarities: irrational confidence, obstinacy, and a perceived sense of invincibility above the rules.

Jim Harbaugh is known as a taskmaster. Though he might be considered a “player’s coach,” he manages his team and program with the precision of a dictator, controlling every aspect. With that in mind, it seems unlikely that such a well-organized operation involving potentially a dozen staffers completely bypassed his attention.

Even if he didn’t explicitly order it or even want to know the specifics, believing he was entirely in the dark about what Stalions, Moore, and the implicated assistants and interns were doing is a hard sell. He’s not the kind of coach to be so oblivious, yet he might just be a good enough actor to make us wonder.

What do you think?

Source: Los Angeles Chargers, NCAA