Former University of Michigan quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss is facing 24 cybercrime charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges stem from an investigation into potential computer-access crimes at a football building, leading to his termination in January 2023.
Weiss, 42, is charged with 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. Officials allege that between 2015 and January 2023, Weiss hacked into student-athlete databases of over 100 colleges managed by a third-party vendor. Authorities claim he downloaded “personally identifiable information and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes” after gaining access to the databases.
Criminal records indicate that Weiss is accused of primarily targeting female student-athletes. He allegedly “researched and targeted these women based on their school affiliation, athletic history, and physical characteristics,” with the intent of obtaining private photos and videos not intended for public sharing.
Furthermore, it is alleged that Weiss used the information obtained from the databases and his research to gain access to email, social media, and cloud storage accounts of over 2,000 student-athletes. He is also accused of illegally obtaining similar information of more than 1,300 additional students and alumni.
“Our office will move aggressively to prosecute computer hacking to protect the private accounts of our citizens,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck in a news release. “We stand ready with our law enforcement partners to bring those who illegally invade the privacy of others to justice.”
If convicted, Weiss faces up to five years in prison for each count of unauthorized access to computers and two years for each count of aggravated identity theft, with a mandatory two-year sentence for the latter. “Today’s indictment of Matthew Weiss underscores the commitment and meticulous investigative efforts of our law enforcement professionals,” noted Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI Detroit Cyber Task Force, in close collaboration with the University of Michigan Police Department, worked relentlessly on this case to safeguard and protect our community.”
Weiss served as Michigan’s quarterbacks coach in 2021 and as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022. Prior to his time at the University of Michigan, Weiss was part of the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff from 2009 to 2020. CBS News Detroit has requested comment from the University of Michigan and is awaiting a response.
