ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Former Michigan Wolverines football coach Matt Weiss broke his silence after being charged and accused of hacking into the accounts of thousands of college athletes.
Weiss pushed back on the allegations in court documents obtained by Local 4 on Thursday (June 12) afternoon.
The former football coach took issue with a default judgment granted to the defendants in one lawsuit, as they had claimed he never responded.
That ruling could lead to a legal victory without a trial for the defendants.
However, Weiss says he never saw the lawsuit because the paperwork was sent to his mother’s home in Connecticut.
Weiss argued in the filing, saying, “A postal employee incorrectly signed for the certified letter and mixed it in with regular mail, whereupon it was misdelivered and then returned to the post office.”
He added, “A new series of media reports was initiated shortly after the default was entered. This sequence suggests that the default was used not to advance the merits of the case but as a strategic tool to create pressure.”
Weiss is asking the court to toss out the default ruling.
"We followed all applicable court rules and procedural requirements regarding service and default.
This is not a publicity stunt—the federal indictment against Mr. Weiss speaks for itself. We were required to serve the complaint, and we believe service was properly executed.
We’re pleased to see that Mr. Weiss is finally making an appearance in this matter.
Mr. Weiss should concentrate his energy on his criminal defense, rather than attempt to attack the lawyers representing the victims of his alleged perverse conduct.
The criminal charges against him are very serious and if found guilty would result in substantial prison time.
Parker Stinar, Managing Partner, Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley
The University of Michigan and its regents responded to one of eight lawsuits filed against them after Weiss was charged with allegedly hacking into student-athlete accounts to steal private images.
Weiss is accused of specifically targeting female students in an attempt to obtain intimate photos and videos without their knowledge or consent.
Court documents revealed Weiss allegedly hacked into databases managed by Keffer Development Services, downloading personally identifiable and medical information of over 150,000 athletes across more than 100 colleges and universities.
Weiss then allegedly gained access to social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of more than 1,300 students nationwide.
62 student-athletes are listed as plaintiffs across several universities, including the University of Michigan and several other universities outside the state.
Court documents said the defendants in the lawsuit have until June 2, 2025, to respond to the complaint.
The university intends to file a motion to dismiss the case, as they claim the accusations against them are barred by immunity granted by the 11th Amendment.
Previous coverage: University of Michigan claims immunity from lawsuits in ex-football coach Matt Weiss case