Connor Stalions Claims Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Staff Had No Knowledge of Wrongdoing
Connor Stalions, the recruiting analyst at the center of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, no longer works for the Wolverines, having parted ways with the football program Friday night after an initial suspension. Stalions officially had worked with Michigan since May 2022, but had served the Wolverines as a volunteer assistant since 2015, according to his now-deleted LinkedIn page.
Initial reports indicated Stalions had been fired, but Michigan subsequently stated that he resigned his position. In his first public comment since an NCAA investigation into the controversy began, Stalions released a statement to The Athletic late Friday night addressing his time with the Wolverines.
“I love the University of Michigan and its football program,” Stallions said. “And I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with the incredible student athletes, coach Harbaugh and the other coaches that have been a part of the Michigan football family during my tenure. I do not want to be a distraction from what I hope to be a championship run for the team, and I will continue to cheer them on.”
Stalions’s agent, Brad Beckworth, also issued a statement to The Athletic, saying that neither Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh nor any member of his staff was aware of any malfeasance.
“He hopes his resignation will help the team and coaching staff focus on tomorrow’s game and the remainder of the season,” Beckworth said. “Connor also wants to make it clear that, to his knowledge, neither Coach Harbaugh, nor any other coach or staff member, told anyone to break any rules or were aware of improper conduct regarding the recent allegations of advanced scouting.”
When the NCAA’s investigation was made public last month, Harbaugh denied any knowledge of Stalions’s actions and said the program would fully cooperate with the investigation. Since then, the NCAA has sent investigators to Ann Arbor to interview the coaching staff as the investigation intensified.