ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Biff Poggi, the former associate head coach of the Michigan football team and current head coach at Charlotte, defended Jim Harbaugh from the allegations of advanced scouting that have embroiled the program.
“I have been quiet on the Michigan situation BUT NO longer,” Poggi wrote on social media. “I was closer to Jim Harbaugh over the last three years than anyone except his wife and kids.
“If Jim knew I would have known. I didn’t know and neither did he. I stake my reputation on it.”
Poggi ended his post with a message to other programs: “Stop whining and get a better team.”
Now a head coach with the 49ers, Biff Poggi worked at Michigan under Harbaugh as an analyst in 2016. After several years at Saint Frances (Md.) Academy, he returned from 2021-22, when he held the title of associate head coach. He was hired by Charlotte in November 2022.
The last several weeks — and, in particular, the past seven days — have been a trying period for Michigan Athletics.
On Oct. 19, it was announced that the NCAA had opened an investigation into Michigan football allegedly using improper methods to scout opponents and steal their signs. While sign-stealing is neither against the rules nor uncommon in football, “off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season) is prohibited,” per NCAA bylaw 11.6.1.
Harbaugh’s statement about the allegations read, in part:
I do not have any knowledge or information regarding the University of Michigan football program illegally stealing signals, nor have I directed any staff member or others to participate in an off-campus scouting assignment. I have no awareness of anyone on our staff having done that or having directed that action.
One day after the investigation began, Michigan suspended analyst Connor Stalions, who was cited as a person of interest in the investigation. In the week that followed, it was confirmed through multiple media outlets that Stalions had purchased tickets to more than 30 games involving Big Ten teams in his own name, with the intention of sending third-party members to attend those games and record a future opponent’s sideline signals. The Naval Academy graduate and former Marine captain volunteered as a low-level assistant for Michigan while living out of state from 2015-21, and was hired by the program in 2022.
While the NCAA is investigating how he obtained the information and if others on Michigan’s staff knew about or endorsed his allegedly improper tactics, Stalions took considerable pride in his ability to pick up opponents’ signals, touting it on his LinkedIn account and bragging to others trying to get into the coaching industry. During games, he could often be seen next to Michigan’s coaches and coordinators offering his thoughts on what the opponent’s play call would be.
Stalions resigned from his position Nov. 3.
Though Stalions is to date the only Michigan staff member implicated in the investigation, that has not calmed the contempt other Big Ten programs hold toward Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh over the allegations. According to multiple reports, Big Ten coaches and athletic directors each held emotional, impassioned phone calls with Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, urging the conference to do something this fall, presumably before the NCAA investigation concluded. The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb confirmed that Petitti met with Michigan president Santa Ono, Michigan regents and athletic Director Warde Manuel.
Reports have differed on whether or not Petitti will impose a punishment on Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan football program. Michigan has called for due process, saying “disciplinary action at this stage would be procedurally improper, extraordinarily premature, and disproportionate based on the context of the case.”
Meanwhile, the Wolverines are en route to State College, where they will face Penn State in a battle of top-10 programs on Saturday.