Report: Jim Harbaugh, who Broncos flirted with, facing suspension

The Denver Broncos nearly made Jim Harbaugh their next head coach this past offseason.

The flirtation was real, as reports surfaced owner / CEO Greg Penner even made a trip to Ann Arbor to try to lure the Michigan head coach to Denver for a second time.

It didn’t end up working out, as Harbaugh returned to his alma mater to pursue a national title with the Wolverines.

But a new story on Tuesday is providing some clues as to why Harbaugh might have been ready to make the leap back to the NFL. According to Yahoo Sports, Harbaugh is facing a four-game suspension to start the 2023 campaign.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and NCAA are working toward a negotiated resolution that is expected to see him suspended four games this season in penalties stemming from alleged false statements he originally made to investigators, sources tell @YahooSports.https://t.co/4oJYVNxmFu

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 25, 2023

The report from Ross Dellenger has some details on why Harbaugh is likely to get the punishment:

Harbaugh’s impending suspension is centered on an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations committed by he and Wolverines staff members. The NCAA enforcement staff alleged that Harbaugh was dishonest about the recruiting violations in his initial meeting with investigators.

If Harbaugh knew he had lied and was going to get caught, it might have been easiest to jump ship. The Broncos clearly wanted Harbaugh, but quickly pivoted to Sean Payton once it was clear he wasn’t going to leave.

This is probably best for Denver, as Payton has earned rave reviews thus far. Still, Harbaugh had a lot of success during his time with the San Francisco 49ers and was coveted for a reason.

We’ll see how it all shakes out and if Harbaugh is eventually on an opposing NFL sideline in the coming years coaching against the Broncos.

But he likely won’t be on any sideline to start this season.

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