Jim Harbaugh came to the Michigan Wolverines after serving 4 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He stayed at Michigan for 9 years, and Michigan made it 3 times to the playoffs and won the national title in 2023 after waiting for over 2 decades. The trophy cabinet may beam proudly at Jim Harbaugh, and Michigan football may have reached new heights under him. But underneath all the glitter and shine lie several other realities.
The 9-year period at Michigan for Jim Harbaugh left more stains than a game-worn jersey. The sign-stealing scandal, Burgergate scandal, and spying allegations rocked Michigan’s program, and questions started getting raised about the authenticity of those playoff berths and the natty trophy. In a sense, the period brought more turmoil than glory. The after-effects are still fresh and haunt Sherrone Moore even after Harbaugh’s departure.
In a recent interview, Jim Harbaugh was forced to address the spying allegations and indictment against his then-assistant and OC Matthew Weiss. Harbaugh paused for a moment and said, “It was after the TCU game that we — that I found out, we found out, that there were allegations, and you said it, I mean indictment, that’s not a word that — sympathy for the victims and for Matt’s family. It’s shocking. Just really shocking, surprising. Didn’t see that one coming. Found out about it the same time everybody else did. Don’t know what to make of it. Just feel really bad for the people involved, that were affected by it. Especially his family and then the people that were victims of that.”
For context, Matthew Weiss was accused of spying and hacking into databases of more than 100 colleges. Weiss was alleged to have obtained personal data, pictures, and confidential information of more than 3,000 college athletes, authorities say, who were mostly female. He has since been charged with 14 counts of unauthorized access to private computers and 10 counts of alleged identity theft. The act was alleged to have been done when he was the Michigan OC and QBs coach between 2021 and 2023.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 04: Michigan Wolverines Offensive Line/Co-Offensive Coordinator Sherrone Moore and Quarterbacks Coach Matt Weiss look on during the Big Ten Championship Game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan Wolverines on December 04, 2021, at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The host of the ‘Monty Show’ berated Jim Harbaugh aggressively for his indifferent and careless statement. Furthermore, he also lambasted the former Michigan head coach for shying away from responsibility. “I also think when you look at Jim Harbaugh and you look at just everything that has gone on in that program while he was the head coach, for him to talk about Matt Weiss and be like, oh, I had no idea, this right here is the very living definition of a sc—–g.”
The host also gave a scathing reply about the irony that Jim Harbaugh was sympathizing with the victims in his recent statement. “The victims that you created, Jim Harbaugh. What Jim Harbaugh is trying to do here, as most sc—–gs do, they’re trying to completely push off any responsibility.”
Be it the Burger Gate allegations, the sign-stealing scandal, or the Matthew Weiss controversy, Jim Harbaugh seems to be at the center of attention. The NCAA is hell-bent on punishing the former Wolverines head coach as they accuse Harbaugh of lying on multiple occasions, which is a level 1 infraction. However, Harbaugh has since found pastures anew as the Chargers’ new head coach with a bumper contract of $80 million. Meanwhile, Sherrone Moore is still up in the muck in Michigan.
Another major lawsuit filed against Matt Weiss and Michigan
Mathew Weiss, on the other hand, has been fired from Michigan and has since been indicted on federal crimes. As per the lawsuit filed by 11 female college athletes as Jane Does, the victims demand more than $50 million in damages from Michigan and Matt Weiss. The lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Michigan has seven soccer athletes, one cheerleader, and one gymnast. The indictment described the level of charges filed against Weiss.
“His goal was to obtain private photographs and videos never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners” and “kept notes on individuals whose photographs and videos that he viewed, including notes commenting on their bodies and sexual preferences.” Furthermore, the attorneys of the appellants also said that the case marked “yet another disturbing failure by the University of Michigan to protect its students.”
In total, five federal lawsuits have been filed against both the Michigan program and Matt Weiss. If proven guilty, it could mean a maximum of five years imprisonment for Weiss on each count, which currently adds up to more than 24 counts of alleged computer and identity theft crimes. The lawsuits also accuse a third-party vendor, Keffer Development Services, which provided the alleged database to Matt Weiss to download and steal the personal information of the athletes. Now, it remains to be seen how all of it will play out in the future.
The post Jim Harbaugh Accused of ‘Lying’ as Ex-Michigan HC Forced to Address Matt Weiss Scandal After 11 Female Athletes File Lawsuit appeared first on EssentiallySports.
