Some old videos of Jim Harbaugh preaching about honesty and integrity went viral this week, and Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is among those who had some fun with the clips.
On Tuesday, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported that the University of Michigan is fighting back against the NCAA sanctions that were handed down following an investigation into the sign-stealing scandal that took place under Harbaugh. Michigan has accused the NCAA of “wildly overcharging” the school despite a lack of clear evidence.
In the wake of the latest development, some old videos resurfaced in which Harbaugh spoke about competing the right way. One of them was from when Harbaugh was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Harbaugh declared at the time that “if you cheat to win, you’ve already lost.”
Bielema shared the video on social media and mocked Harbaugh for leaving Ann Arbor to coach the Los Angeles Chargers after the scandal erupted.
“Really … Why did you leave? Was looking forward to playing but understand why you ran to the #NFL. See you in the future and can’t wait #famILLy #ILL,” Bielema wrote.
Really…. Why did you leave?
Was looking forward to playing but understand why you ran to the #NFL
See you in the future and can’t wait #famILLy #ILL https://t.co/4y7C5ecvUA
— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) January 29, 2025
Bielema then shared another old clip in which Harbaugh preached the importance of telling the truth all the time.
— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) January 29, 2025
Harbaugh has maintained all along that he had no knowledge of former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions illegally scouting opponents. Most people find that hard to believe, especially when you hear some of the stories that have come out since.
Harbaugh led Michigan to a 15-0 season and a national title before he left to take the Chargers job. We will probably never know if the NCAA sanctions drove him away, but Bielema certainly seems to believe the scandal played a role.
