Jim Harbaugh’s atmosphere around the Michigan football team went too far, a former staff member claims. / Kyle Robertson / USA TODAY NETWORK / Columbus Dispatch
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One former Wolverine staff member claims that under Jim Harbaugh’s leadership, things went out of control. The NCAA has slammed him with a four-year show-cause punishment for recruiting infractions, and the Michigan football team is currently the subject of a second investigation regarding alleged sign-stealing.

Reportedly, during the Covid-19 dead period, a former recruiting director at Michigan informed the NCAA that Harbaugh fostered a culture where employees were encouraged to “go up to the line and cross if you ha[ve] to,” as reported by MLive.com.

The NCAA released a report that included the staffer’s comments and detailed the sanctions for Harbaugh’s recruitment practices during the outbreak.

According to the staffer, Harbaugh encouraged him and others to “get guys on campus” in early 2021, when the NCAA was enforcing a severe recruiting dead period because to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak.

“The football staff had no process in place to alert the athletic compliance staff when prospects were planning to visit campus,” the unidentified staff member said.

They further stated that “the football staff took no precautions during the visits to avoid in-person contact with the prospects,” as well as the “culture wasn’t to be safe, the culture was to go to the line and cross it if you had to.”

As per the NCAA’s ruling, Harbaugh was found to have “engaged in unethical conduct, violated head coach responsibility obligations, and violated recruiting and inducement rules.”

Harbaugh, who is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL, has denied any impropriety while leading Michigan.

The NCAA has not yet made a final determination about its investigation into claims that former staff member Connor Stalions improperly performed in-person scouting of football opponents, despite Harbaugh’s punishment.

There have been rumors regarding that investigation that the Michigan football team might not be allowed to play in the postseason or that Sherrone Moore, the team’s first-year coach, might be banned.

Insiders say that a decision about that investigation is unlikely to be released to the public until after the 2024 football season begins.