Larry Black, Wolverine

 

Larry Black (image via Vanderbilt Athletics)

Michigan has hired Vanderbilt's defensive line coach, Larry Black, to be the next defensive tackles coach for the Wolverines. The position was previously held by Lou Esposito, who departed recently for a job with the Baltimore Ravens, where former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is now the head coach.

Black played defensive tackle at Indiana from 2009-2013 and is the older brother of former Michigan defensive tackle Jibreel Black, who made 72 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles from 2010-2013. Larry himself got an undrafted free agent contract with the Bengals when he left the Hoosiers.

The elder Black has since coached at Notre Dame (graduate assistant), Toledo, and Vanderbilt. He was the defensive line coach for the Commodores from 2022-2024 but added "run game coordinator" to his title for 2025. Vanderbilt ranked last in the SEC in yards per carry allowed in 2022 and 2023, but they moved up to #14 (out of 16) in 2024 and then #7 in 2025. A similar path existed when it comes to sacks, where they went from last in 2022-2023 to #11 in 2024 and #7 in 2025.

Black has been rumored to be interested in the job the past couple times a defensive line coaching job has opened up at Michigan, but other people were hired. It's unclear what the connection was (if there was one) between Black and new head coach Kyle Whittingham, but Black will now pair with defensive ends coach Lewis Powell to tag team coaching duties on the defensive line.

Ex-Wolverine Coach Updates: February 16, 2026

 

Kevin Koger (image via Atlanta Falcons)

With the end of the NFL cycle taking place and Michigan's recent coaching transition, there have been a lot of changes for former Wolverine coaches and players in the coaching world:

Joe Bolden, Defensive Coordinator (Southern Mississippi): Bolden finished his first season at Southern Miss as the special teams coordinator and then was promoted to defensive coordinator in December.

Adam Braithwaite, Safeties Coach (Cincinnati): Braithwaite finished his first season as the safeties coach for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Anthony Campanile, Defensive Coordinator (Jacksonville Jaguars): Campanile finished his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator. The Jaguars are 13-4 and in the playoffs, and they finished the regular season #11 in yards allowed per game (303.6).

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Ndi Etta, Wolverine

 

Ndi Etta (image via X)

Argyle (TX) Liberty Christian linebacker Ndi Etta committed to Michigan on Sunday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Austin Peay, Miami-OH, and UTEP.

Ndi Etta is listed at 6'1" or 6'2" and 215 lbs., and he played some defensive end and some linebacker in high school. He made 68 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 pass breakups as a senior in 2025.

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