Jim Harbaugh departed Michigan as a scorned HC after the sign-stealing scandal. He has a national championship win in the bag. But that will never be treated as one in the eyes of the football community. Scandals aside, Harbaugh sure did produce some good talent during the time he was at Michigan. He had an eye for recruiting the best for the program and left no stone unturned in his campaigns to get them to move to Ann Arbor. One of these talents, who went high in the draft, reveals the gesture that sealed the deal for him.

In 2022, Michigan ended a 22-year-long drought of breaching the Columbus fortress. Defeating your archrivals is always a rad look. But for a freshman, it spoke volumes about his attitude. Colston Loveland caught a 45-yarder from J.J. McCarthy and ran with it for a TD. Then, he stood dauntingly against the sea of OSU fans and put his finger to his lips. Today, Loveland, Michigan’s star TE, holds a single-season record for the most receptions by a tight end. With a slew of honors in his name, Loveland went to the Chicago Bears as the 10 pick.

However, this fairytale story wouldn’t have come true for Michigan or the humble farming lad from Idaho if Jim Harbaugh hadn’t stepped up. Loveland spoke of an important time in his recruitment with Rich Eisen in a June 16 video. Harbaugh traveled all the way to the other side of the country, to quiet Idaho. He arrived in Gooding and stayed with Loveland at his grandparents’ place. The TE then recounted some amusing memories that proved Harbaugh is a dedicated man.

“He got in late [at] night. We’re chopping it up, he’s like, ‘Yo, what time are we working out in the morning?’ I was like, “you working out?” He’s like, “Yeah.” So, we got in there, must have been like 6-7 o’clock in the school gym. Of course, he’s in his khakis, working out. We got a little workout in and you know, he’s just kind of he’s stopping, saying hi to a bunch of different teachers,” Loveland explained. It made a lot of impact for the TE, considering he came from a state that does not see a lot of talent go to the NFL. Loveland is the fourth such player.

Also, Harbaugh was one of the two coaches who made the trip to Idaho. The only other school to make that extra effort was Boise State and coach Andy Avalos. The former Wolverines HC, though marred by his association with the sign-stealing scandal, was able to score Loveland for good after that visit. “The fact that he’s coming out here, you know, taking his time to come out here all the way to Idaho, means he’s obviously very interested and sees something in me. So, it was very motivating and also just, again, just a blessing to have him be there,” he told Eisen.

Loveland decided to skip his senior year and enter the draft. All-American, All Big 10 honors, a conference championship, and a national title – Colston Loveland was definitely going to go big in the 2025 draft. And because he was one of Harbaugh’s best-performing recruits, hopes were high for him to end up going to the LA Chargers as the No. 22 pick. But, sadly, that did not pan out. Harbaugh, meanwhile, led the Chargers to a playoff spot in the NFL last season. But despite these victories, the coach continues to be shunned because of his links to the sign-stealing scandal.

Jim Harbaugh once again the subject of ire as new intel shows Connor Stalions’ impact

Harbaugh, even today, remains adamant that he had no involvement in the massive scandal that rocked Ann Arbor in 2023. “I do not apologize,” he said boldly when he took on the Chargers job. People find it hard to believe that the man in charge had no clue that someone like Connor Stalions was running a scandal so widespread, and that too way before it came to light. The axed Michigan staffer thrived in his skill for decoding opponents’ play signals and relayed his insights to the team.

A Buckeyes fan on X put forward an interesting argument that implies because of Stalions’ inputs, Harbaugh put forward such great seasons. Before 2021, the former HC’s record at Michigan was 49-26. That’s a 73% success rate. All this while, Stalions was working as a volunteer for the Wolverines staff. In 2021, however, that record stands at a polished 40-3. The success rate shot up to 96%, all within 2 years of Stalions taking on a formal role at Ann Arbor. This suspicious cleanup is a huge reason why a majority of CFB fans do not regard Michigan’s 2023 National title as an important one.

It cost Harbaugh his job, but Stalions still argues that he was the only person who got caught while everyone else also stole signs. “What set me apart was the way that I organized that information and processed it on game day,” he says in his documentary. Stalions was an inconspicuous staffer before the scandal broke out. But before that, Harbaugh awarded him the game ball in 2022 when Michigan defeated Iowa to clinch the Big 10 championship title. Harbaugh still holding onto his argument of innocence seems sketchy to fans, who still regard Michigan not having won their 2023 title fairly.

Harbaugh is not a bad coach. He brought brilliant seasons to Ann Arbor before the sign-stealing scandal broke out. But given Stalion’s long-standing association with the program, Harbaugh’s reputation tanked in college football. The players who grew under him, however, continue to hold him in high regard.