Former Michigan Wolverines assistant coach Matt Weiss is facing yet another legal challenge. According to The Athletic, two additional former Michigan athletes have filed a class-action lawsuit against Weiss, with the university and its board of regents also listed as defendants.
The lawsuit, brought forward by two unnamed former Michigan athletes—a volleyball player and a soccer player—covers their time at the school from 2020 to 2024. In addition to Weiss and the university, the lawsuit also names Keffer Development Services, a third-party vendor, as a defendant.
The lawsuit alleges that damages could exceed $5 million and suggests that more than 100 additional individuals may be affected as potential plaintiffs.
Weiss was officially charged last Thursday with 14 counts of unauthorized computer access and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the charges stem from allegations that Weiss accessed “private, illicit photos of student-athletes” between 2015 and 2023. The DOJ further stated that more than 150,000 athletes may have been affected, including 2,000 identified as “target athletes.”
Michigan fired Weiss in January 2023 following an internal investigation into what was initially described as “computer access crimes.” His termination came after reports of alleged misconduct surfaced in December 2022, leading to further scrutiny and eventual federal charges.
Weiss joined Michigan in 2021 as a quarterbacks coach before being promoted to co-offensive coordinator. His hiring was largely influenced by his long-standing connection with the Harbaugh family, having worked as an NFL assistant under John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens from 2009 to 2020.
His relationship with then-Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh played a key role in bringing him to the Wolverines. Weiss was on staff during Michigan’s College Football Playoff appearance and was dismissed just before the team’s national championship-winning season.
This latest lawsuit closely resembles a class-action suit filed last week by two other former Michigan athletes—a soccer player and a gymnast. In that case, Weiss was accused of using student information to hack into email, social media, and cloud storage accounts, allegedly accessing private content, including intimate photos and videos. He was also accused of downloading medical records belonging to Michigan student-athletes.
The newest complaint specifically alleges that Weiss targeted female athletes, further increasing the risks faced by the unnamed plaintiffs. The lawsuit claims that Weiss obtained highly confidential and personal information due to the negligence of the university and other defendants, causing distress, humiliation, and embarrassment for those affected.
After Weiss was fired, authorities obtained search warrants for his Ann Arbor home, leading to the seizure of multiple electronic devices. These were part of a multi-year investigation that ultimately resulted in the criminal charges now filed against him.
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