Weaver starred as a center of Michigan State's great teams of the early 1950s. After graduation, he served as an assistant on Duffy Daugherty's staff at his alma mater, and at the University of Missouri under Dan Devine. Prior to the 1960 season, he was hired as the head coach at Kansas State at age 29.
Kansas State
In seven seasons at Kansas State, he compiled an 8–60–1 record. His final two seasons went without a win. His 1961 and 1962 teams posted a losing streak of 18 games—tied for the 20th-longest streak in college football history.[citation needed] Weaver's best season at K-State came in 1964, when his team went 3–7, with the three wins coming by a combined six points, but he retained his sense of humor. According to a Sports Illustrated article, after he was hanged in effigy at K-State, he said: "I'm glad it happened in front of the library. I've always emphasized scholarship." He was fired following the 1966 season. His career record was 8–60–1 including a 4–43-1 record in conference play.
Southern Illinois
After being fired from Kansas State, Weaver attended law school at the University of Kansas. He returned to coaching football after earning his law degree, serving as an assistant coach at Kansas under Pepper Rodgers for the 1970 season. In 1973, he was named athletic director at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. In 1974, he named himself as head football coach at Southern Illinois, where he posted records of 2–9 and 1–9–1 during the 1974 and 1975 seasons.
Georgia Tech and Michigan State
In 1976, he left Southern Illinois to take over as athletic director at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was succeeded as athletic director at Southern Illinois by Gale Sayers. While athletic director at Georgia Tech, Weaver fired his old boss, Rodgers, from his position as football coach.
In 1980, Weaver returned to his alma mater, Michigan State, as athletic director, a position he held for a decade until he retired in 1990. Michigan State's indoor practice facility is named in his honor, and Weaver was inducted into the 2015 Class of the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame.[citation needed]
