In a text message to players, Conlin explained his decision similarly. According to one player, Conlin said that he was offered a better title and more money from Yale.
Conlin also insisted that he was not completely decided.
According to the player, Conlin said that if he chooses to stay, it would be out of love for his Harvard players.
Conlin wrote in an email that he has not signed a contract with Yale but declined to comment further.
Whitman said that the team had jokingly forecasted the move.
“We actually were joking around that because [Conlin] was such a good coach, he wouldn’t last long,” Whitman said.
Wilmot declined to comment and Barber could not be reached for comment.
The trio of departures represents another surprise in a nascent but already eventful offseason.
Following the Crimson’s 9-1 season, rumors swirled that Penn State was interested in Murphy to fill the seat left by coach Joe Paterno.
While those rumors never came to fruition, four out of nine coaches have since departed.
—Staff writer Jacob D. H. Feldman can be reached at jacobfeldman@college.harvard.edu.