Jim Harbaugh: Michigan coach’s brother John left ‘proud’ despite suspension amid sign-stealing scandal over ‘way he’s handled himself’

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he is proud of how his brother Jim has handled himself during Michigan‘s sign stealing scandal.

Michigan head coach Jim received a three-game suspension after the program became involved in a sign-stealing scandal, which includes allegations of in-person scouting of opponents – some dating back three seasons, which isn’t allowed under NCAA rules. 

‘I have a lot of opinions on it, obviously. I’m his brother, and I’m proud as heck of him. I’m really impressed with the way he’s handled himself through all this,’ John said about his brother.

The Ravens coach also revealed that his brother has had his phone and computer searched as part of the Michigan investigation.

‘His phones, his computers and all that stuff have been looked at, and he´s come through this thing with flying colors,’ John Harbaugh said. 

Jim has been suspended as Michigan head coach for three games amid the scandal

‘I don’t know what they are trying to get, but they don’t have anything of substance, and I just think I´m proud of him. I think it´s a real compliment to our family and to him, something for us to be proud of.’

The Big Ten Conference banned Jim from coaching Michigan’s final three regular-season games, saying the school violated its sportsmanship policy by conducting ‘an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years’ that resulted in ‘an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition.’

The league did acknowledge while suspending Harbaugh last week that it had not received any information indicating he was aware of the impermissible nature of the sign-stealing scheme.

‘You get kind of in this kind of a situation where you come under fire for whatever reasons, and you come out in a really good place doing the right thing all the time, and I´m really proud of that,’ John Harbaugh said. 

‘He´s a great man, he´s a great coach. His players love him. His coaches love him, and he stands tall through all this.’

The Big Ten said the suspension was meant to punish the university, not Jim Harbaugh.

No. 2 Michigan are trying to challenge the punishment in court, but the Wolverines were without Harbaugh when they beat Penn State last weekend to stay undefeated.

John Harbaugh was also asked if he had any plans to either attend Michigan’s game this Saturday against Maryland if his brother was able to fight the suspension or if he would watch the game with his brother if the suspension holds, but said he was focused on getting through Baltimore’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday first.