Who is Matt Weiss? Jim Harbaugh's ex-Michigan staff embroiled in latest hacking scandal

Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff have been involved in several scandals lately. However, none are as serious as the Matt Weiss lawsuit. In a lawsuit that was filed in March, former Michigan assistant coach Matt Weiss is accused of illegally accessing and downloading intimate photos and personal data from over 3000 students.

Most of the accounts are said to be from women, although the exact percentage has not been released. The accounts are from students from over 100 universities.

Harbaugh and athletic director Warde Manuel were included on a list of 51 new defendants added on Friday:

"NEW: Jim Harbaugh has been added to a lawsuit against Michigan and a former assistant coach who's accused of hacking into the accounts of college athletes to look for intimate photos, AP reports. Attorneys claim Harbaugh knew the assistant was seen viewing private information but still let him coach in a playoff game."

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NEW: Jim Harbaugh has been added to a lawsuit against Michigan and a former assistant coach who's accused of hacking into the accounts of college athletes to look for intimate photos, @AP

reports.

Attorneys claim Harbaugh knew the assistant was seen viewing private information but still let him coach in a playoff game.

Furthermore, the plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit claim that the University of Michigan allowed Weiss to coach in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl despite being aware of Weiss's inappropriate conduct. The lawsuit claims that Jim Harbaugh, who was head coach at the time, and athletic director Warde Manuel prioritized on-field success over student safety.

The lead lawyer for the plaintiffs spoke about the additions of various Michigan staff members, including Harbaugh and Manuel, in a statement on Friday.

"The university’s delay in taking meaningful protective action until after a high-stakes game sends a clear message: Student welfare was secondary," lead attorney Parker Stinar said.

Jim Harbaugh has denied knowledge of Matt Weiss's inappropriate conduct

Jim Harbaugh was only just added as a co-defendant on Friday. As a result, he has not released a new statement regarding his involvement. However, when asked about Weiss's actions earlier this year, Harbaugh denied having any knowledge.

"The allegations were shocking," Harbaugh said. "I was not aware of any investigation or misconduct until after the game."

While Harbaugh claims not to have known about Weiss's actions before the Fiesta Bowl, the university placed Weiss on leave in January 2023, shortly after the Fiesta Bowl.

Weiss has since been indicted by the FBI on 14 counts of unauthorized access and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. The prosecutors are also alleging that Weiss used encryption software to illegally access and breach cloud storage, emails and social media accounts. The University of Michigan has not released a statement since Harbaugh and other new defendants were added on Friday.