Matt Weikert

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Position: Inside Linebackers Experience: 5th Year College: Ohio '02

Matt Weikert is in his sixth year overall and first as inside linebackers coach at Air Force.

Weikert's first year at Air Force saw the development of John Rabold as one of the top defensive players in the conference. Rabold was a first-team all-conference honoree, recording 74 total tackles and a team-best 17.5 tackles for loss. Rabold also had 5.5 quarterback sacks and led the conference with four fumble recoveries in addition to three forced fumbles.

In 2008, Weikert helped develop an undersized Hunter Altman into one of the defense's big-play weapons. Altman was third on the team in tackles with 88 and had 8.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 quarterback sacks and was named honorable mention all-conference. In 2009, Air Force had one of its best defenses in school history. The defense led the conference and ranked fifth nationally in pass defense with a 154.3 mark. The unit was second in the MWC and 11th in the nation in total defense allowing just 288.3 yards per game. The team was second in the MWC and 10th nationally in scoring defense with a 15.7 norm which is the best mark in school history since 1998. The defense also scored five touchdowns in 2009.

Last season, outside linebacker Andre Morris, Jr., capped a career that saw him start over 50 games and lead his team to four straight bowl games.

Weikert served as Wake Forest's operations and video assistant in 2006 in his second stint at the school. He spent the 2005 season as the outside linebackers coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga. Prior to his work at UTC, Weikert worked at Wake Forest for two years as a graduate assistant. The first year he was the defensive graduate assistant, working primarily with defensive coordinator Dean Hood and linebackers coach Brad Lambert. He was also heavily involved with the scout offense in preparing the defensive unit each week, as well as weekly opponent game planning. The second year, he was the offensive graduate assistant, working closely with offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke and tight end/fullback coach Tom Elrod. He instructed the defensive scout team and was involved in film breakdown and preparation for the upcoming opponent.

Weikert originally joined the Wake Forest staff in August 2002 as a recruiting intern under recruiting coordinator Ray McCartney.

A 2002 graduate of Ohio University, Weikert received a bachelor's degree in communications.

While at Ohio, Weikert was a member of the football team for five years, playing four seasons under head coach Jim Grobe. As a senior, Weikert played for former Air Force assistant coach Brian Knorr, who was the head coach at Ohio in 2001. He earned second-team all-Mid-American Conference honors in 2000 after leading the Bobcats in tackles for loss (16) and sacks (6). Weikert had two interceptions and broke up four passes. His 16 tackles for loss ranked third in the conference.

Weikert, a native of Covington, Ohio, and his wife, Kelly (Graher), were married in the summer of 2010.

Coaching Experience
Air Force - Outside Linebackers, 2007-Present
Wake Forest - Operations/Video, 2006
Tennessee-Chattanooga - Outside Linebackers, 2005
Wake Forest - Offensive Grad. Asst., 2004
Wake Forest - Defensive Grad. Asst., 2003
Wake Forest - Recruiting Intern, 2002