ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Former Michigan Wolverines co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss, 42, of Ann Arbor, has been charged in a cyber attack targeting over 150,000 student-athletes.
Weiss, who coached at the University of Michigan from 2020 to 2023, was charged on Thursday (March 20) in a 24-count indictment that alleges 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft.
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He was away from the team and had not been on the recruiting trail for the Wolverines back in December 2022.
During the initial investigation, Weiss’ neighbors said many unmarked cars were found outside the co-offensive coordinator’s Ann Arbor home.
The initial search was believed to be tied to the University of Michigan police investigation.
Court documents revealed that between approximately 2015 and January 2023, Weiss gained unauthorized access to student athlete databases maintained by a third-party vendor at more than 100 colleges and universities.
After gaining access to the databases, Weiss allegedly downloaded the personally identifiable information and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes.
According to the indictment, Weiss used the information to obtain access to the social media, email, and /or cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 target athletes.
Weiss also illegally obtained access to the social media, email, and/or cloud storage accounts of more than 1,300 additional university students and/or alumni nationwide.
Court documents revealed that once Weiss obtained access to the accounts, he downloaded personal, intimate digital photographs and videos that were never intended for sharing with anyone other than intimate partners.
If convicted, Weiss faces a maximum of five years in prison for each count of unauthorized access to computers and two years for each count of aggravated identity theft. This triggers a two-year mandatory minimum sentence that must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the underlying offense.
NFL Career
Since being hired by the Wolverines, Weiss has served two seasons as an assistant and quarterback’s coach, helping lead Michigan to the College Football Playoff in consecutive seasons.
Before joining the Wolverines’ staff, Weiss was the running backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. That season, the team broke the NFL record for rushing yards with 3,296, led by lead MVP Lamar Jackson.
He was also the Ravens’ linebackers coach in 2014 when Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs led the NFL with 29 sacks.
Under Weiss, Dumervil also broke the season’s franchise record for sacks with 17 and was named to the Pro Bowl.
Also under Weiss, inside linebacker C.J. Mosley became the first rookie in Ravens history to be selected to the Pro Bowl.
Weiss was hired by the Ravens in 2009 as an assistant to head coach John Harbaugh, whose coaching staff won Suber Bowl XLVII against former Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh and his San Francisco 49ers.
