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Jim Harbaugh, now with the Los Angeles Chargers, has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit that’s sending shockwaves through the college football world. The suit involves former Michigan assistant Matt Weiss and claims Harbaugh turned a blind eye after learning Weiss had been caught hacking sensitive information before Michigan’s College Football Playoff appearance in December 2022, according to documents obtained by the Detroit Free Press.
The expanded class-action complaint comes from 11 women and doesn’t stop with Harbaugh. Michigan AD Warde Manuel and former university president Santa Ono are among nearly 50 others named. The plaintiffs argue that Michigan let Weiss coach in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal against TCU on New Year’s Eve despite already knowing about his illegal activities. This directly contradicts Harbaugh’s previous statement that he didn’t know about the allegations until after the bowl game.
“The university put the interests of the [Michigan] football team ahead of those of the victimized female students, further discriminating against the plaintiffs and class members,” states the filing.
Michigan suspended Weiss in January 2023 before eventually firing him after campus police launched an investigation into unauthorized email access. The situation escalated dramatically in March when Weiss was indicted on 14 counts of unauthorized computer access and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft.
The charges are serious.
Weiss allegedly accessed third-party databases connected to more than 100 colleges and universities illegally. Prosecutors claim he obtained personal information on over 150,000 student-athletes, using it to break into social media accounts, emails, and cloud storage of more than 2,000 athletes. The lawsuit further alleges that his hacking extended beyond athletes to include non-athlete students and alumni — with a disturbing focus on female college athletes.
Michigan Connection
Weiss joined Michigan’s staff under Harbaugh in 2021, initially as quarterbacks coach before being promoted to co-offensive coordinator the following season. His coaching background includes more than a decade with the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL, where he worked under John Harbaugh — Jim’s older brother.
The timing of the allegations raises serious questions about what Michigan’s football program knew and when. While the Wolverines were preparing for their CFP appearance, the lawsuit suggests university officials — including Harbaugh — were already aware of Weiss’s alleged criminal activity but allowed him to coach anyway.
