Tag: Jim Stapleton

Jim Stapleton is not a minority owner of Vikings

A source tells Vikings Wire that Jim Stapleton is not a minority owner of the Minnesota Vikings, rebutting a claim made by author John Bacon.

According to a Vikings source, Jim Stapleton is not and never has been a minority owner in the Minnesota Vikings franchise.

On Friday, we wrote about best-selling author John U. Bacon accusing Stapleton of blackballing Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh from getting the Vikings head coaching job in 2022. Bacon made the claim on the Morning Juice 97.1 radio show out of Columbus when discussing the sign-stealing scandal Michigan is currently dealing with.

In the same light, the same source tells Vikings Wire that Stapleton was not involved in the coaching search that resulted in the team hiring Kevin O’Connell. Harbaugh did come in for an interview in early February, but the job was offered to O’Connell.

Both Harbaugh and Stapleton seem to be connected, but they aren’t connected via the Vikings.

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Vikings minority owner accused of blackballing Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh

The Vikings minority owner is in some hot water concerning his alma mater

Editors note: A source tells Vikings Wire that Stapleton is not, nor has ever been a minority owner of the Minnesota Vikings. Story here 

Minnesota Vikings minority owner Jim Stapleton blackballed University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh during his interview for the Vikings head coaching job in 2022, according to journalist and author John U. Bacon.

When appearing on the Morning Juice 97.1 radio show out of Columbus to discuss the sign-stealing scandal with the Wolverines, Bacon brought up Stapleton as someone who likely gave the information to the NCAA.

“They’re getting leaks like crazy from the NCAA. Watch a guy named Jim Stapleton,” Bacon said. “Jim Stapleton is a Michigan alum who blackballed Harbaugh when he was [interviewing] with the Minnesota Vikings because [Stapleton] was on the board for the Minnesota Vikings. He now got himself onto the NCAA Infractions Committee and he hates Jim Harbaugh. It doesn’t matter who the source is or if it’s right or wrong. If Michigan did it, they’ll still pay a price. That’s not the point. You can’t kill the messenger. But as far as the leaking goes, I would guarantee you that’s where it’s coming from.”

Bacon wrote in his book “Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football” that Stapleton had been accused of sabotaging Rodriguez. Stapleton denied the accusations. 

Bacon posted a thread on Twitter talking about the history with Stapleton and Harbaugh during his interview.

Stapleton released a statement criticizing Bacon and his claims. The Michigan beat writer for 247 Sports, Zach Shaw, mentioned that Stapleton didn’t explicitly deny the claims.

Whether this is something that gets swept under the rug or becomes a big story, it’s noteworthy, especially concerning his tenure with the Vikings.