Army West Point Athletics
Staff Directory
Weaver, Justin
Justin Weaver
- Title:
- Inside Linebackers
Justin "Juice" Weaver enters his third season in his second stint on the Army coaching staff, rejoining as the inside linebackers coach in 2023.
Weaver oversaw the breakout campaigns of junior inside linebackers Andon Thomas and Kalib Fortner in 2024, who anchored a defensive unit that held opponents to under 14 points or fewer in 10 out of 14 games.
Thomas posted a team-high 98.0 tackles, and Fortner was right behind with 81.0 tackles to pace the unit. Fortner’s 9.5 tackles for loss marked a team high.
Thomas was an AAC All-Conference Third Team selection, and Fortner was named as an honorable mention.
In his first season serving as the inside linebackers coach in 2023, Weaver oversaw team captain Leo Lowin’s senior campaign and the emergence of sophomore Kalib Fortner.
Lowin led the team in tackles for a second consecutive season, registering 92.0 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks, garnering Phil Steele First Team All-Independent honors. Fortner emerged to play in all 12 games and started in nine alongside Lowin, finishing second on the defense with 68.0 total tackles. He made arguably the biggest play of the season when he strip-sacked Navy QB Tai Lavatai in the fourth quarter of the Army-Navy Game, picking up the fumble and returning it 44 yards for an Army touchdown to take a 17-3 lead. The score was the first defensive touchdown scored by Army vs. Navy since 1958. Fortner was selected as the Army-Navy Game MVP, also recording 10 tackles.
In 2022, Weaver was the Head Coach of the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS), leading Army Prep to wins over Navy Prep and Air Force Prep. He also served as the USMAPS defensive coordinator from 2019-21.
Weaver's first stint on the Army coaching staff came as the director of on-campus recruiting in 2017 and was Army's defensive quality control coach in 2018.
Weaver came to West Point after spending three years at the University of Wisconsin as the "Beyond the Game" Coordinator. The program assists student-athletes with the transition to the next level in their lives, including professional sports. He also developed and implemented programs and workshops that enhanced the student-athlete experience.
Prior to Wisconsin, Weaver was the defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Chicago from 2012-14. During his time, the Maroons finished second in the UAA Conference and ranked in the top 30 nationally in five defensive categories. In 2012, senior linebacker Alex Dzierbicki played in the All-American Bowl, and Weaver's three starting linebackers earned first-team all-league honors in 2012 and 2013.
Before this time at the University of Chicago, Weaver spent the previous two seasons as the outside linebackers coach at his alma mater, Lehigh University. During those two campaigns, the Mountain Hawks won 21 of 26 games, captured back-to-back Patriot League titles, and made a pair of NCAA playoff appearances.
As a collegiate athlete, Weaver played for Lehigh from 2004-07, during which time he was a member of two Patriot League champion squads (2004, 2006). He began his coaching career at Lehigh in 2008 as a student assistant concentrating on the defensive line and moved to Morgan State University, where he served a two-year stint as an assistant defensive line coach from 2008-10.
Weaver resides at West Point with his wife, Shevez, and daughters Sariah and Stormi.
Weaver oversaw the breakout campaigns of junior inside linebackers Andon Thomas and Kalib Fortner in 2024, who anchored a defensive unit that held opponents to under 14 points or fewer in 10 out of 14 games.
Thomas posted a team-high 98.0 tackles, and Fortner was right behind with 81.0 tackles to pace the unit. Fortner’s 9.5 tackles for loss marked a team high.
Thomas was an AAC All-Conference Third Team selection, and Fortner was named as an honorable mention.
In his first season serving as the inside linebackers coach in 2023, Weaver oversaw team captain Leo Lowin’s senior campaign and the emergence of sophomore Kalib Fortner.
Lowin led the team in tackles for a second consecutive season, registering 92.0 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks, garnering Phil Steele First Team All-Independent honors. Fortner emerged to play in all 12 games and started in nine alongside Lowin, finishing second on the defense with 68.0 total tackles. He made arguably the biggest play of the season when he strip-sacked Navy QB Tai Lavatai in the fourth quarter of the Army-Navy Game, picking up the fumble and returning it 44 yards for an Army touchdown to take a 17-3 lead. The score was the first defensive touchdown scored by Army vs. Navy since 1958. Fortner was selected as the Army-Navy Game MVP, also recording 10 tackles.
In 2022, Weaver was the Head Coach of the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS), leading Army Prep to wins over Navy Prep and Air Force Prep. He also served as the USMAPS defensive coordinator from 2019-21.
Weaver's first stint on the Army coaching staff came as the director of on-campus recruiting in 2017 and was Army's defensive quality control coach in 2018.
Weaver came to West Point after spending three years at the University of Wisconsin as the "Beyond the Game" Coordinator. The program assists student-athletes with the transition to the next level in their lives, including professional sports. He also developed and implemented programs and workshops that enhanced the student-athlete experience.
Prior to Wisconsin, Weaver was the defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Chicago from 2012-14. During his time, the Maroons finished second in the UAA Conference and ranked in the top 30 nationally in five defensive categories. In 2012, senior linebacker Alex Dzierbicki played in the All-American Bowl, and Weaver's three starting linebackers earned first-team all-league honors in 2012 and 2013.
Before this time at the University of Chicago, Weaver spent the previous two seasons as the outside linebackers coach at his alma mater, Lehigh University. During those two campaigns, the Mountain Hawks won 21 of 26 games, captured back-to-back Patriot League titles, and made a pair of NCAA playoff appearances.
As a collegiate athlete, Weaver played for Lehigh from 2004-07, during which time he was a member of two Patriot League champion squads (2004, 2006). He began his coaching career at Lehigh in 2008 as a student assistant concentrating on the defensive line and moved to Morgan State University, where he served a two-year stint as an assistant defensive line coach from 2008-10.
Weaver resides at West Point with his wife, Shevez, and daughters Sariah and Stormi.
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