In a termination letter to former co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss, Michigan said it had evidence that he had “inappropriately accessed the computer accounts of other individuals” and was firing him with cause after he failed to respond to a request to meet with school officials.
Weiss was fired Jan. 20. The letter was released to multiple news organizations Monday via a public records request.
Michigan had placed Weiss on leave Jan. 17 and requested he meet with officials on Jan. 19 to discuss the alleged wrongdoing. Weiss did not show, according to the letter.
“Because you did not attend this meeting and offer any additional information, we are making our decision based on the evidence that we have,” executive associate athletic director Doug Gnodtke wrote in the letter. “Based on the evidence it appears that you have inappropriately accessed the computer accounts of other individuals in violation of SPG 601.07. As a result, your appointment has been terminated with cause.”
The code Gnodtke cited asks members of the campus community “to be good stewards of the university’s information resources and data, and use them in a safe, responsible, ethical, and legal manner.”
Further specifics about the alleged computer crimes were not yet known. The university did not release the evidence it said it had, citing exemptions under state law.
The university’s chief of police, Melissa Overton, told the Detroit News Monday that its investigation remained active.
The Detroit News and ESPN previously reported that Weiss’ home in Ann Arbor was searched by police on Jan. 10. Police also investigated Schembechler Hall, the home base of the Wolverines’ football program on campus.
Weiss, 39, had just completed his second season on Michigan’s staff. After 12 seasons working for John Harbaugh on the Baltimore Ravens’ coaching staff, Weiss was hired by Harbaugh’s brother Jim in 2021 to serve as the Wolverines’ quarterbacks coach. The co-offensive coordinator title, shared with Sherrone Moore, was added between seasons.
“I have nothing but respect for the University of Michigan and the people who make it such a great place,” Weiss tweeted following his firing. “I look forward to putting this matter behind me and returning my focus to the game that I love.”
–Field Level Media
