Jim Harbaugh on his reaction to suspension: 'Innocent until proven guilty'

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke to the media on Monday following the team’s 24-15 win over Penn State on Saturday, a win that he was not on the sidelines coaching for.

A day before the game, the Big Ten Conference suspended Harbaugh for the remainder of the regular season under the league’s sportsmanship policy as a result of the NCAA ongoing sign-stealing investigation of the program.

On Monday Harbaugh was asked how he felt regarding being informed about his suspension from the conference on Friday afternoon, giving a interesting answer about the situation.

“I’m gonna talk on Friday, just looking for that opportunity, due process. Not looking for special treatment, not looking for a popularity contest, just looking for the merit of what the case is,” Harbaugh said. “Senior in high school I had a civics class and talked 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 like that opportunity.”

Harbaugh will remain suspended for the Wolverines’ remaining two regular season games, and his innocence in Michigan’s sign-stealing investigation will continue to be widely debated.

The first domino in Michigan’s alleged sign stealing fell on October 18 when the NCAA presented the university and the Big Ten with allegations centered around Michigan staffer Connor Stalions, who’s since been suspended and resigned from the program following a paper trail of evidence that suggests he illegally attending opponents games and using prohibited electronics to document opponent’s signals.

The NCAA’s investigation is still ongoing, but that didn’t stop the Big Ten from taking action with their notice of discipline for the Wolverines that eventually led to Harbaugh’s suspension.

“As a penalty imposed on the institution, the University football team must compete without its Head Football Coach for the games remaining in the 2023 regular-season, effective immediately. This disciplinary action shall not preclude the University or its football team from having its Head Football Coach attend practices or other football team activities other than the game activities to which it applies. For clarity, the Head Football Coach shall not be present at the game venue on the dates of the games to which this disciplinary action applies,” the statement from the Big Ten reads, in part. 

It was revealed in a statement responding to the suspension that Harbaugh and Michigan plan to fight the suspension in court. With Michigan lying out in previous letters that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and the league do not have the leeway to levy a punishment against Michigan, and more specifically Harbaugh, under the sportsmanship policy.

The next step in the Michigan sign-stealing saga seems to point towards court, with a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order against the Big Ten on the table in play from Harbaugh and Michigan.

On3’s Andrew Graham contributed to this report