Former Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh, athletic director Warde Manuel and other school officials were added to a lawsuit against former football assistant Matt Weiss, who is accused of hacking into the computers of U.S. college athletes and looking for intimate photos.
The Associated Press reports the changes to the legal filings were made Friday, in which attorneys claim Harbaugh knew Weiss was seen viewing private information on a computer in December 2022 but allowed him to continue coaching as co-offensive coordinator during the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl against TCU.
Weiss was fired in January 2023 amid an investigation into his use of a computer on campus.
“The university’s delay in taking meaningful protective action until after a high-stakes game sends a clear message: Student welfare was secondary,” Parker Stinar, the lead lawyer in a class-action lawsuit resulting from the criminal investigation of Weiss, said.
Jim Harbaugh's Michigan scandals follow him to the NFL
Now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, and entering his second season at the helm, Harbaugh still can't seem to shake the scandals that arose under his leadership in Ann Arbor.
He was under the microscope for several recruiting and high school camp infractions during his time on campus, as well as constant conjecture he would jump ship for the NFL when things got tough. The latter certainly wasn't illegal, but it was always a point of contention during his tenure.
But the sign-stealing scandal which centered around then-defensive analyst Connor Stalions, who bought tickets to opponents' games and recorded on-field signals for the Wolverines to decipher and benefit from when they next played that team, made the most headlines. He was ultimately suspended, and the NCAA's investigation was long and arduous, but it didn't seem to affect his professional prospects much.
He's since returned to the NFL, and this new lawsuit could threaten to derail his ability to coach the team with all of his energy. Granted, the merits of the case have to be worked through in court and the seriousness of the allegations should not be lost on anyone. This will be yet another controversy that follows Harbaugh around as the 2025-26 season gets underway.