Former Michigan Wolverines football quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels left Ann Arbor this offseason, with head coach Jim Harbaugh seemingly taking over quarterback coaching duties for the 2021 campaign.
He then hired Baltimore Ravens running backs coach Matt Weiss this past weekend in a bit of a surprising move. To get some more info on the man who will be working with Cade McNamara, J.J. McCarthy and the other Wolverine signal-callers next season, we've taken a deep dive into his coaching resume and have examined his past accomplishments.
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Weiss played collegiate football at Vanderbilt from 2001-04, before earning a master's degree in liberal arts at Stanford from 2005-08. During his time in Palo Alto, Weiss served as a grad assistant for the Cardinal's football team, working with the defense and special teams.
He also worked with Harbaugh his last two seasons there (2007 and 2008). Weiss then joined John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens prior to the 2009 campaign, where he had remained ever since.
Weiss worked on the defensive side of the ball in numerous roles during his first seven years with the organization (2009-15). He eventually moved to the offensive side permanently in 2016, working with the Ravens' quarterbacks as an assistant in both 2016 and 2017.
This where we'll begin our analyzation of Weiss' resume. In 2016, Baltimore's Joe Flacco threw for 4,317 yards and completed 64.9 percent of his passes, while also tossing 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Flacco's 4,317 yards were the seventh most in the NFL that year, while his 64.9 completion percentage checked in 11th. His 15 picks were also tied for the seventh most in the game.
In 2017, Flacco compiled 3,141 yards and a 64.1 completion percentage, while tossing 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His 64.1 connection rate ranked 11th in the NFL that year.
Weiss then became an assistant with the Ravens' receivers in 2018, while also serving as the team's strategy coordinator. Three different Baltimore wideouts hauled in at least 607 yards that season — John Brown (715), Willie Snead (651) and Michael Crabtree (607).
The trio also racked up a combined 158 receptions and nine touchdowns, and Brown's 17 yards per catch were tied for the fourth best average in the NFL that season. Weiss then took on the role of running backs coach for the 2019 and 2020 campaigns.
Under his tutelage, the Ravens registered two running backs who tallied at least 711 yards in 2019 — Mark Ingram (1,018) and Gus Edwards (711). Edwards' 5.3 yards per carry that season was the third best mark in the NFL, while Ingram's 5.0-yard per carry average was tied for eighth.
Ingram's 10 touchdowns were also the seventh most in the sport, while the duo only lost a combined three fumbles throughout the year. Ingram also chipped in 247 receiving yards and five touchdown grabs, with his 15 combined scores tying a Ravens' single-season record.
He earned a Pro Bowl bid as a result. Baltimore's 5.5 yard-per-carry-average as a team in 2019 was significantly better than any other club, with the Cardinals and Titans tying for second at 5.0 yards per rush.
Baltimore's 206 rushing yards per game led the NFL, and its 3,296 total rushing yards on the year were the most any team had ever racked up in a single season in NFL history. Weiss once again did impressive work with the Ravens' rushers in 2020, guiding three different backs to a minimum of 299 yards — J.K. Dobbins (805 yards, as a rookie), Edwards (723) and Ingram (299).
Dobbins' 6.0 yards per carry were the third most in the NFL and the highest among running backs, while Edwards' 5.0 yards per attempt were deadlocked for ninth best in the sport.
Baltimore subsequently led the NFL in rushing yards per game once again in 2020, with 191.9. In fact, the Titans were the only other team to average more than 148.4 (168.1), exemplifying how much better the Ravens' rushing attack was than everyone else's.
Baltimore also averaged 5.5 yards per carry as a team for a second straight season.
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