Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was expected to coach quarterbacks this year, and it was announced as such. Instead, Harbaugh has added Baltimore Ravens assistant Matt Weiss, one of his analysts when he was at Stanford, to join his staff.
The Wolverines had an opening after linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary left for Tennessee.
Weiss has been with John Harbaugh’s Ravens for 12 years.
“I am really excited about reconnecting with Coach Matt Weiss,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “We have a great relationship from our time together at Stanford, and he brings a great deal of experience coaching all three phases of the game in addition to his strength in the area of analytics and game strategy.
“He is a great teacher and will be an excellent role model for our student-athletes. We are excited to have Matt, Melissa and their children, Bowen (Bo), Zuzana (Zuzu) and Noema join our Michigan Football and university family.”
In addition, Ron Bellamy has moved over to coach safeties while George Helow will handle the linebackers.
Weiss was a graduate assistant coach with the defense and special teams under Harbaugh (2005-08) and coached the Ravens’ running backs the past two seasons (2019-20) after working as an assistant with the receivers (2018) and quarterbacks (2016-17). He also served as the team’s football strategy coordinator in 2018.
The Ravens averaged 5.5 yards per carry as a team in each of the last two seasons, ranking fourth and fifth all-time. Those were the highest marks since the 2006 Atlanta Falcons averaged 5.5 yards per carry as a team. Baltimore set six franchise records on offense in 2019: touchdowns (64), points (531), net yards (6,521), rushing yards (3,296), first downs (386) and fewest turnovers (15).
Prior to working with the Ravens’ offense, Weiss held a variety of roles on defense (2009-15), including cornerbacks coach, assistant linebackers coach and quality control. He joined the Baltimore staff in 2009 as the head coach’s assistant and worked with then-secondary coach Chuck Pagano. The Ravens’ defense ranked top three in the NFL in fewest points allowed three consecutive years (2009-11), tying an NFL record, while Weiss also helped coach four Pro Bowl performers.
In addition to his roles with the Ravens’ offense and defense, Weiss was responsible for leading the analytics department of the coaching staff, scripting situational practice periods and advising the staff on in-game management decisions. From 2009 to 2018, Baltimore’s decision-making led to more successful coaching challenges (42) than the NFL average of 24 per team during that span. Additionally, with the help of Weiss, the Ravens twice used an intentional safety to win a game, including their Super Bowl XLVII victory.
At Stanford, Weiss worked with the defense and special teams as a graduate assistant coach. He worked with the defensive backs (2005), linebackers (2006), defensive line (2007) and defense/special teams (2008). Weiss earned a master’s degree in liberal arts during his time in Palo Alto. He was responsible for opponent breakdowns, tendency and scouting reports for the staff and he also ran the scout teams during practice.
“I am excited about the opportunity to coach at the University of Michigan and help contribute to the winningest program in college football history,” Weiss said. “I look forward to reuniting with Coach Jim Harbaugh, learning our offensive system, and building relationships with the staff and student-athletes.
“I’ve heard that the University of Michigan is a special place, and my family and I are thrilled to become a part of the University of Michigan community. Go Blue!”
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