Ondre Pipkins Says Jim Harbaugh, Staff Pressured Him to Quit Michigan Football

Michigan senior defensive lineman Ondre Pipkins has one year of eligibility left in his collegiate career, but he says new head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan staff told him he won't use it playing for the Wolverines this fall.

According to ESPN.com's Joe Schad, Pipkins said Harbaugh, head athletic trainer Paul Schmidt and associate athletic director Jim Minick pressured him to retire from football.

The Michigan staff reportedly asked Pipkins 10 times over a two-month period to sign a medical scholarship form that would've ended his playing career.

UPDATE: July 1

Harbaugh responded to Pipkins' claims Tuesday, telling reporters "we don't run off players."

"I'll speak for myself personally," Harbaugh said, according to MLive.com's Nick Baumgardner. "When it comes to the health and safety of the players, that argument trumps all other arguments." 

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The senior said Harbaugh told him it was "not fair" to his teammates for Pipkins to resist signing the medical form. Pipkins said he knows of another Michigan player who has been told to "get healthy by a July 1 deadline or sign a medical to retire."

"College football is a business," Pipkins told Schad. "New coaches have to win games. They want to go with guys they think can win. If I'm a victim of making room, so be it. But if there is no concrete reason to disqualify a player, he should have the right to keep playing."

Harbaugh denied the July 1 deadline to Baumgardner.

"It varies with different circumstances, [but] there's no set date for the team, no," Harbaugh said. "There never has been.

End of update

Pipkins tore his ACL against Minnesota in October 2013 but was able to play for the Wolverines in the 2014 season, recording nine tackles in five games. He recorded 24 tackles in 24 games in his Michigan career.

Tony Ding/Associated Press

"I feel I'm healthy and ready to play," Pipkins told Schad. "I don't want to sign the form. I wanted to play for my seniors and for the team. Coach Harbaugh said, 'I recommend you take the medical.'"

Pipkins said doctors were initially concerned about arthritis in his previously injured knee, but it wouldn't keep him from playing his senior season. After more pressure from Michigan, Pipkins said he was sent back to his surgeon, who recommended a six-month period of rest.

"After consulting with our medical team, we do not think it is in Ondre's best interest as it relates to his health and welfare to play football, short or long term," Harbaugh said in a statement given to ESPN. "He remains on full scholarship and counts toward the 85 scholarship limit in pursuit of graduation from the University of Michigan."

According to Wolverine247's Steve Lorenz, Pipkins and coaches "were not meshing well since the new staff took over in January." Lorenz also said he was told Pipkins had suffered a couple of concussions at Michigan.

Lorenz's sources told him during spring practice they "weren't expecting Pipkins to be a part of the team in 2015."

Tony Ding/Associated Press

Pipkins, who was a 4-star recruit in the class of 2012, told Schad he would transfer for his final year of eligibility.

By his request, Michigan has allowed him to contact Oklahoma State, Georgia State, TCU, Tennessee, Florida State and Washington State.

Pipkins may have to transfer to a lower-division school if no other FBS program gives him two scholarship years—he wouldn't be immediately eligible under NCAA rules—to play just one.

The former Michigan defensive tackle posted this message to his Instagram account Friday afternoon:

"

It's been a tough past couple of months for me and it is true that I will be looking to play my last year of eligibility at another school. I want to thank Coach Hoke, Coach Heck and Coach Montgomery for recruiting me to play at the University of Michigan. I wanted nothing more than to just be #Great at playing for the Maize and Blue... To my brothers and the senior class of Michigan Football I deeply apologize for not being able to complete this journey because I know that we were looking forward to this season more than ever. I love you guys and I will cherish our memories forever. I hope you all understand that this was the best decision for me and my family..... Lastly I also want to thank all of my support system for helping me get through these tough couple of months. I can't wait to see what the good lord has in store for me in the near future. #GodBless

"

Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.