Michigan Announces Replacements for Jim Harbaugh During HC's 3-Game Suspension

The Michigan Wolverines will be handling coaching duties by committee during head coach Jim Harbaugh's suspension.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that the team will be utilizing four different head coaches during the first three games of the 2023 season while Harbaugh serves a three-game suspension that was handed down by the University.

Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter will be in the role for the team's season opening game against East Carolina September 2. Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Sherrone Moore will fill the role for the team's third game against Bowling Green September 16, while the September 9th game against UNLV will be done with Special Teams Coordinator and safeties coach Jay Harbaugh taking the reigns in the first half and Run Game Coordinator and Running Backs coach Mike Hart taking over in the second half.

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Harbaugh was originally suspended four games by the NCAA for a series of infractions that leveled from Level II to Level I. Among the Level II violations was impermissible contact with recruits, which came from buying them cheeseburgers at a local restaurant as reported by Ari Wasserman of The Athletic.

The Level I violation came from his inability to be totally forthcoming with NCAA investigators. The original suspension broke down earlier in August, as reported by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, but that did not mean it would be gone forever.

Harbaugh could have potentially faced a bigger suspension in 2024, so the self-imposed suspension by the University could mitigate the severity of that.

Until then, the Wolverines enter the season as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation and will not have to play a conference game without their head coach in 2023.