DETROIT – University of Michigan President Santa Ono backed Jim Harbaugh and the football team during an interview Wednesday, and also touched on Connor Stalions and whether Harbaugh would be back next season.
Ono was at the Detroit Economic Club and spoke with Local 4′s Devin Scillian more than a year after taking over as the university’s president.
You can watch his comments about the football program in the video above.
Ono received cheers when he took the stage because of Michigan’s win over Ohio State to polish off another undefeated regular season. Then, he was asked about the Jim Harbaugh suspension due to the sign-stealing operation.
“It’s true that he has been on the sideline for six games, but we won all six of those games,” Ono said. “I want to say: It’s really a credit to him. The coaches talked to me about that situation and have said he knows nothing about what happened, and I trust him. He’s a man of honor. Everyone who knows him knows that. It’s an ongoing investigation. We’ll see what happens.
“But I want to say very, very clearly, and it’s no secret to people, that I trust the guy. I think he’s one of the great coaches out there in the NFL or in NCAA, and the football team loves him, and his coaches love him. I think the greatest sign of a great coach is that the team wins whether or not he’s on the sideline.
“I don’t know if you saw that interview right after the Penn State win -- it’s a tough game, you know? They thought he was going to be there until that day. Then, did you see the interview with Sherrone (Moore)? He was crying. He said, ‘I love you, coach. I love you, coach.’ Then you listen to J.J. (McCarthy) in the Ohio State game. He said, ‘I love you, coach. We miss you.’ That means something. That speaks volumes as to the kind of coach he is.
“Coach told me that if you coach a team well, it’ll coach itself, and boy, did it ever do that. He also said every single play that Sherrone called would have been the same plays that he would have called. That’s a tribute to the guys.
“We’ll just wait and see how this whole thing goes. He’s going to be back with us for the game this Saturday, and the next couple of games, and we’re going to get a win, a big win. They say three touchdowns, so I believe that.”
Devin also asked Ono about how the investigation is going and whether the University of Michigan has gotten to the bottom of what happened with Connor Stalions.
“I’ve never met the guy,” Ono said. “Apparently he was in a room that I was in. I don’t know him. I haven’t gotten to the bottom of it because these sorts of investigations, you have to be at arm’s length. The NCAA is actually involved in that, so we’ll let it take its course.
“Certainly, I take it very seriously. This is an academic institution, to be frank, and ethics and integrity are central and core to what we do. They’re a cornerstone to a great university. So, as you know, people who have been found to be involved or to transgress proper process have been held accountable, and that’s the right thing to do. So, the integrity of the University of Michigan -- I take that very, very seriously.”
Is Ono confident that Harbaugh will be Michigan’s coach next season?
“I hope so,” Ono said. “Like I said, we have to wait and see what happens with all these investigations. He is a great coach and means a lot to the institution.”
