Harbaugh Doesn't Hold Back When Asked To Respond To Luke Fickell's Comments
Former Michigan Wolverines football offensive lineman James Hudson’s transfer from U-M to Cincinnati has apparently sparked a war of words between Maize and Blue head coach Jim Harbaugh and Bearcat (and former OSU) head man Luke Fickell.
Hudson applied for the opportunity to play right away at Cincinnati in 2019 on the grounds of mental health issues, but was denied by the NCAA.
Fickell then spoke out publicly this afternoon and blamed Harbaugh and Michigan for playing a part in Hudson’s waiver being denied.
At tonight’s press conference at Schembechler Hall in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh didn’t hold back when asked to give his thoughts on Fickell’s comments, Hudson’s waiver and how the whole situation unfolded.
“I read Luke Fickell’s comments, and unless I’m reading them wrong or mistaking them, I believe he’s under the impression that these waivers are decided coach to coach in some kind of deal fashion,” Harbaugh began.
“That is not the understanding that I’m under — I’m under the understanding that the NCAA decides these waivers. Unless he has something he can bring forth and share and enlighten us and the entire football world, I would really like to know what that is.
“He called me in March and specifically wanted to know about the position switch when James went from defensive line to offensive line.
“After two weeks of practice and watching James at defensive line, I personally — not other coaches — went up to him and told him he had the body type to be a really good offensive tackle.
“We don’t mandate what position players play at Michigan and he could compete at whatever position he wanted, but we asked if he wanted to try it out.
“He did and it turned out he was really good at that offensive line position, and that’s what I told Coach Fickell — exactly the way it happened when I talked to James on the field that day.
“Coach Fickell then tried to coach me on how to say it different, and I told him, ‘Coach, I believe in telling the truth — forthright and honest. What I tell James, you and compliance is going to be the truth.’
“He asked a question in the article: ‘What’s most important: your personal beliefs or what’s in the best interest in the kid?’
“I can answer that — what’s most important is the truth. If he’s questioning what my personal beliefs are, then that’s what I believe in — being forthright, honest and telling the truth.
“I’m astounded he’s gotten to where he’s at by not knowing the answer to that question. He keeps trying to make it seem as if Michigan has blocked the transfer waiver, or that Michigan has somehow decided not to grant this waiver.
“Again, that’s not how this process works in my understanding. As it relates to the waiver, I didn’t write it and our compliance asked me one question: ‘How did the process happen with James switching from defensive to offensive line?’
“I told them what I told James on the field that day and what I told Coach Fickell. That’s the only part that I’ve been asked to talk about by our compliance department.
“I’m going to be honest and tell the truth with whoever I deal with. If he’s asking what my personal beliefs are in a different way, that’s well-documented.
“My personal beliefs on this are that a football player should have the right they’ve never had — to be able to choose which school they attend and where they play football, and have a one-time ability to transfer schools.
“That’s how I personally feel about this issue and it’s well-documented, and I believe it’s in the best interest of the young men who play football or any other sport in college.
“It’s their decision to make, along with their family’s. As I said, he tried to coach me into saying it differently and not saying it that way.
“I told him I’m not going to lie and I’m going to tell the truth. He didn’t like the version I was giving.”
Harbaugh was then asked if the two had spoken since March, and he made it clear that they hadn’t.
“No, hat was the one time when he called in March,” he said. “I told him back then, ‘Coach, my understanding of this is that you seem to think it’s some kind of coach to coach [thing] and that we’re going to work a deal here. That’s not my understanding of how this process works.’
“It didn’t work that way when [senior quarterback] Shea Patterson was transferring from Ole Miss to Michigan. I was told I wouldn’t have any involvement in it — the two compliance departments would talk and the NCAA would decide the eligibility of Shea Patterson.
“You guys asked me on several occasions what I knew about Shea — I didn’t know anything because I wasn’t involved in it and I didn’t talk to his lawyer or family.
“I would always say, ‘Whatever the NCAA decides will be what happens. We like Shea being here whether he’s eligible immediately or whether he has to sit a year.’
The final question of Harbaugh’s press conference tonight was a wonderment as to where the assumptions that Michigan blocked Hudson’s waiver at Cincinnati could possibly be coming from.
“It’s coming from Luke Fickell,” Harbaugh insisted. “He’s erroneous erroneous. Michigan did not block the waiver and we wish James Hudson well, but it’s not in the coach’s or the University’s hands, and it’s not in his hands.
“Those waivers are decided by the NCAA with the way the process works right now.”
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