REPORT: Former U-M Athletes sue ex-Michigan coordinator Matt Weiss
According to a recent article published by the Detroit News, two former U-M student athletes are suing ex-Michigan coordinator Matt Weiss. The student athletes claim Weiss hacked into their personal accounts and stole ‘intimate’ photos.
Last week, it was announced that Weiss was indicted on charges of unauthorized access to computers and identity theft by the Department of Justice.
“Former University of Michigan Co-Offensive Coordinator Matthew Weiss – age 42, of Ann Arbor – was charged today in a 24-count indictment alleging 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identify theft,” the statement read.
“According to the indictment, between approximately 2015 and January 2023, Weiss gained unauthorized access to student athlete databases of more than 100 colleges and universities that were maintained by a third-party vendor. After gaining access to these databases, Weiss downloaded the personally identifiable information and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes. Using the information that he obtained from the student athlete databases and his own internet research, Weiss was able 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 students and/or alumni from universities across the country.
Once Weiss obtained access to these accounts, he downloaded personal, intimate digital photographs and videos that were never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners.”
Weiss joined former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff in Ann Arbor back in 2021, having worked with Harbaugh at Stanford and with Jim’s brother, John, in Baltimore. Following Michigan’s loss to TCU in the College Football Playoff during the 2022 season, Weiss was suspended and ultimately fired in January.
