Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh made a bold decision by leaving college football for the NFL after winning a national championship in 2024. But after a disastrous start to his second season, the shine is already coming off one of the most successful coaches of the 21st Century. The Chargers are 0-5 under Harbaugh, their worst start since 2003.
Three straight losses have come by one score as Los Angeles ranks 30th in scoring offense. If Harbaugh is looking for an escape hatch to college football, though, it may prove nearly impossible. Harbaugh is facing a show-cause order through 2038 that will prevent him from participating in any athletics activities for any new school that hires him.
He is also subject to a guaranteed one-year suspension after taking any job in NCAA athletics. The former Michigan coach who won a national championship with the Wolverines in 2023 was initially hit with a four-year show cause penalty in 2024 for recruiting violations and unethical conduct stemming from actions taken during the COVID-19 dead period. Harbaugh later received a 10-year show cause from the NCAA for his role in the unrelated sign-stealing scheme involving former Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions.
The order handed down in August 2025 restricts him from all athletically related activities during the show-cause period, which begins Aug. 7, 2028, at the conclusion of his four-year show-cause order from the previous case. A show-cause is one of the most strict penalties that the NCAA can levy on an individual. The intent is essentially for any penalties received at a previous school to follow that coach no matter where they go.
In the case of Harbaugh, he would be banned from athletics-related activities, including practice, until the show-cause expires. Before a school can hire a coach on an active show-cause, they have to go in front of the NCAA Committee on Infractions and present how they plan to monitor for compliance. They also have to submit a report every six months.
Any school that hired Harbaugh could be subject to penalties or punishments related to his involvement with multiple NCAA investigations. Additionally, the 2038 end date means there's no realistic way to outlast his show-cause. Harbaugh will be nearly 75 years old when it finally expires.
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