By Kyle Golik
In an era where it is everyone else’s fault and not mine, it was a breath of fresh air to see Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz own his wrongdoings and face the music. Ferentz will serve a one-game suspension against Illinois State on August 31 for a Level 2 violation in recruiting. While no player has been named, The Athletic has reported it revolves around the recruitment of former Michigan quarterback and current Iowa starter Cade McNamara.
As Ferentz approached last week’s press conference, there was no deflections or games about the suspension. Ferentz simply owned it.
“There’s a line,” Ferentz said at Iowa’s weekly press conference held last Thursday. “I crossed that line.”
After learning of his suspension, Ferentz informed the team of the penalty, which also included a loss of one week of off-campus recruiting.
“The bottom line is this — I tell our players that we abide by the rules,” Ferentz said. “In this specific case, I did not do that. I made a mistake in the recruiting process.”
I am not naive, Ferentz was caught for his violation. When you look at the stakes current staffs face in college football, the envelope is pushed, coaches just hope not to break the seal.
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In a stark contrast, if we are to believe in The Athletic’s reporting that it was McNamara, how McNamara’s former team Michigan operated under Jim Harbaugh, the proverbial line was always crossed.
I outline in my aforementioned piece the numerous ways Harbaugh and staff violated the proverbial line. While many of those who lost their jobs are trying to atone for their actions, Harbaugh hasn’t and seemingly won’t.
I get the reasons Harbaugh doesn’t want to acknowledge or even answer for his actions. At his current gig, as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, they don’t do well with unnecessary distractions. I get it, and even Harbaugh’s representation alluded to the fact after the COVID-19 violations were levied.
“The way I see it, from Coach Harbaugh’s perspective, today’s COI decision is like being in college and getting a letter from your high school saying you’ve been suspended because you didn’t sign the yearbook,” Tom Mars, Harbaugh’s attorney, said in a statement.
“If I were in coach Harbaugh’s shoes and had an $80 million contract as head coach of the Chargers, I wouldn’t pay attention to the findings of a kangaroo court which claims to represent the principles of the nation’s most flagrant, repeat violator of the federal antitrust laws.”
It is easy to pin the NCAA as a “kangaroo court,” but the lack of respect and contention the Harbaugh camp has had for the NCAA, has always led Harbaugh down the wrong path. I personally feel Michigan was the job for Harbaugh, its all that he ever wanted. The chaos that the NCAA has always rubbed Harbaugh the wrong way. In a sport where it is truly the “wild west” in recruiting, transfer portal, and NIL, what do you expect coaches to do?
Harbaugh’s actions and lack thereof is a stark contrast to Ferentz. Harbaugh never wanted to “own” his actions and because of that, he ran to the NFL. Harbaugh’s flirtations and ovations since 2021 with the NFL have been evident of wanting to run from authority. Harbaugh’s actions of not cooperating, or at least facing the music really shows the poor character he possesses.
When the submitted Notice of Allegations, which Michigan received on Sunday, becomes public, I have no doubt that Harbaugh’s actions of not respecting boundaries, crossing the line, and failing to own his actions will only amplify.
