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Former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has yet to coach a game in Ann Arbor, and he’s already facing an internal controversy.

Via Joe Schad of ESPN.com, Michigan defensive lineman Ondre Pipkins claims that Harbaugh and multiple members of his staff asked Pipkins roughly 10 times during two months to retire from college football due to a knee injury. While that would keep Pipkins on scholarship, it would open up one of the 85 total football scholarships for use on another player.

I feel I’m healthy and ready to play,” Pipkins said. “I don’t want to sign the form. I wanted to play for my seniors and for the team. Coach Harbaugh said, ‘I recommend you take the medical.'”

Pipkins understands what’s happening, but he’s not budging.

“College football is a business,” Pipkins said. “New coaches have to win games. They want to go with guys they think can win. If I’m a victim of making room, so be it. But if there is no concrete reason to disqualify a player, he should have the right to keep playing.”

Harbaugh acknowledged the program’s position on Pipkins in a statement released to ESPN: “After consulting with our medical team, we do not think it is in Ondre’s best interest as it relates to his health and welfare to play football, short or long term. He remains on full scholarship and counts toward the 85-scholarship limit in pursuit of graduation from the University of Michigan.”

Pipkins nevertheless disagrees.

“I feel I am healthy and without pain,” Pipkins said. “I believe Michigan wanted to free up the scholarship. I felt I was practicing well and could compete at a high level at the nose tackle and tackle positions.”

He claims Harbaugh presented Pipkins with the relevant retirement paperwork and said, “‘I need you to sign this. It’s not fair to your teammates. Let’s get it done.'”

Pipkins intends to transfer and continue his career, which would mean that he’d have to convince an FBS school to put him on scholarship for the year he’d be required to sit out before being eligible to play. He could transfer to an FCS school and play immediately.

So Harbaugh will get what he wanted. But he probably never expected it to become such a big deal.