The Michigan Wolverines start spring practices next Tuesday, March 17. This will provide the new coaching staff a chance to work with their players for the first time. If there’s a defensive position that could use some improvement in 2026, it’s the defensive line.
This week, new defensive tackle coach Larry Black joined Jon Jansen on “In the Trenches” to talk about his approach to coaching and what he’s looking for from his players.
On how he arrived to Michigan
If you’re not familiar with Black, he played football at Indiana
and grew up in Cincinnati, so he is very aware of the rivalry with the Buckeyes. He talked about the opportunity he has to coach in Ann Arbor, sharing that he’s excited to be back in the Big Ten after coaching in the SEC at Vanderbilt for a few years.
On coaching against Indiana
Black played football at Indiana, so he is excited to coach against his alma mater and has that game circled on his calendar. He knows it will be a challenge and that he will have to figure out how to win at the line of scrimmage. You can just tell in Black’s voice that he’s excited to figure out a game plan for the weekend the Wolverines host the Hoosiers come the fall.
On the differences between the SEC and Big Ten
It’s likely no surprise coming from a coach who works with defensive tackles that he’s going to focus on the play in the trenches. He says both the SEC and the Big Ten are “high level”, but the SEC is a little “prettier” while the Big Ten is “gritty.”
On his journey to Michigan
It’s already felt like a long time ago, but at one point, Lou Esposito was retained and coaching the defensive line for Whittingham. But he left unexpectedly for the Baltimore Ravens, leaving Whittingham with another position to fill. Black said everything at Vanderbilt was “going really well,” but he got a text from Ryan Phillis, the strength coach at BYU, who knew defensive coordinator Jay Hill. His brother, Jibreel Black, also played for Michigan. Larry has respect for the program and couldn’t imagine saying no to the defensive line job at Michigan. “Being here is a blessing.”
On what his brother had to say
Larry said he’s getting calls “every 30 minutes” from his brother Jibreel. “What are we doing to beat the Buckeyes” is a common question Larry gets asked by Jibreel.
On what fans should anticipate from the defensive line
“We’re going to try and be as high level as possible.” Black is focused on how they’re controlling the gaps on the defensive line, and that they want to be focused on how they’re getting into their moves so they can win their individual battles. He wants them to cause havoc. You can tell from his answer that he wants this group to get after it. They want to be the best against the run, and lead when it comes to things like sacks, pressures and hurries. He wants fans to see the line playing with technique, but also with anger and intensity.
On getting to know his players
Black said he’s working to get caught up with the plays. While Black is waiting for his family to get to Ann Arbor, he is focusing on building his relationships with his players. He is putting in that extra time with players before practices get started, going out to eat with them and just getting to know them. He wants to make it the best spring ball he can. “Right now, what’s important is how do I grow and make it the best spring ball for the guys in my room right now.”
On spring ball, initial impressions
When it comes to the 15 practices, he wants to make sure that his guys are stacking good practices on top of each other, and then stacking good weeks into a good month — gradual improvement heading into the summer months and into the season.
When it comes to the players in his room, Black talked about how strong the position group is but that there’s a lot to work on still. He mentioned some of the older guys like Enow Etta, Trey Pierce and Jonah Lea’ea — it sure sounds like Etta and Pierce are the ones leading the way right now — and he mlso mentioned younger guys like Ted Hammond, Travis Moten, Deyvid Palepale and Bobby Kanka that have been growing with the program. “I love the group, man … there’s a lot to build and get better at, but those guys are willing to work and learn, and we’re going to keep building calluses and I’m excited about them.”
On his attitude
“I get to coach football every day. It’s the best job in the world.” He said “it’d be a damn shame” if he didn’t bring his best every day. Black is hoping he can encourage his players to not waste a day with a bad attitude. He’s clearly excited about getting to coach at the University of Michigan.
What have you read and heard about Black? What are you hoping he’ll be able to do as a coach this season? Let us know in the comments below!
