During their time as Wolverines staff members, Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale were hit with substantial NCAA penalties for recruitment rule violations. These sanctions are part of a broader investigation into recruiting practices at Michigan football, which also implicated head coach Jim Harbaugh and other staff members.
Former Michigan Coaches Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale Hit With NCAA Show-Cause Penalties
During his time as Michigan defensive coordinator, Minter was issued NCAA penalties with a one-year show-cause action. The violation was triggered through multiple impermissible recruiting communications sent to a prospect before June 15 of the player’s sophomore year.
Minter admitted he understood the nature of improper communication but chose not to report it to Michigan’s compliance department.
NEWS: Former Michigan football coaches Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale have reached separate resolutions with the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions for “recruiting violations that occurred within the football program.” pic.twitter.com/0GqMod9zkR
— Tony Garcia | Detroit Free Press (@RealTonyGarcia) April 29, 2025
For the former secondary coach Steve Clinkscale, the NCAA gave him a penalty with a two-year show-cause action. His violations involved providing impermissible benefits to recruits or their families during the recruitment process.
Clinkscale started out by denying full cooperation with NCAA examiners through incomplete or misleading responses in his first interview before eventually confirming all known violations and his own active role in them.
The show-cause penalties mean that if either coach returns to college football during their respective penalty periods, any NCAA institution hiring them must adhere to restrictions on their involvement in athletically related activities.
Clinkscale’s penalty also includes a suspension for half the regular season if he returns to a college coaching position during the sanction period.
Both Minter and Clinkscale are now part of Jim Harbaugh’s staff with the Los Angeles Chargers, and their penalties are unlikely to impact their current roles in the NFL. However, should they return to college coaching within the duration of their show-cause penalties, the restrictions will come into effect.
As part of an extensive NCAA enforcement investigation into Michigan Football, Harbaugh himself faces a four-year show-cause penalty for unethical recruiting violations.
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The NCAA continues investigating a separate set of allegations beyond recruiting violations, with former Michigan analyst Connor Stallions facing suspicion in a sign-stealing scandal.
Michigan football experiences ongoing NCAA investigation scrutiny as its disciplinary actions result in minimal penalties toward institutional discipline. The resolution of these cases may help the program turn the page and move forward under new leadership.
The imposed penalties function as a warning to other programs about the critical importance of complying with recruiting rules, especially under unusual circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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