It looked all said and done for Kyle Whittingham’s staff until the NFL carousel spun again. Michigan DL coach Lou Esposito, who initially agreed to stay, followed Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens. But the Wolverines didn’t let that position sit vacant for long because they brought in a former Vanderbilt coach whom people view as a steal. 

Reported last weekend and made official on February 18, Michigan hired Larry Black as DT coach. Kyle Whittingham, formally introduced as the University of Michigan’s J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach, put his stamp on it publicly. The program’s social media account also dropped a welcome note on X. 

“Give a warm welcome to our new defensive tackles coach, Larry Black!” 

Kyle Whittingham passed on an internal promotion for Lewis Powell, who stays focused on edges, and instead brought in a true interior specialist. Larry Black arrives after four seasons, building a tough defensive front under Clark Lea. In 2025, he was elevated to defensive run game coordinator, and the Commodores allowed just 108.2 rushing yards per game. Vanderbilt improved from 10th in the SEC in run defense during his first year to sixth in his final season.

On MichiganVOCFB, insider John D’Adamo called it a “huge” steal from the SEC and even joked the 36-year-old was the perfect Valentine for Wolverines fans. Part of it is because of Larry Black’s development track record. In 2023, veteran Nate Clifton posted 5.5 sacks. In 2024, three different linemen had at least 5.0 tackles for loss. In 2025, four players hit 6.0-plus TFLs, led by 9.5 from Miles Capers and 8.5 from Khordae Sydnor. That growth and consistency will be valuable for Kyle Whittingham’s new program. 

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Larry Black’s Midwest ties matter, too. He played at Indiana, appeared in 48 games, and logged 127 tackles. He coached at Toledo before Vanderbilt, helping the Rockets climb from 10th in MAC run defense to the top four in two straight seasons. He also brings family roots, as his brother, Jibreel Black, once played DT at Michigan. If you pair him with Powell on the edges, Michigan’s front looks structured. And it looks like Kyle Whittingham is building this thing his way as another familiar face at the top leaves. 

Kyle Whittingham is overhauling Michigan’s front office

In a surprising move, Kyle Whittingham let go of Michigan GM Sean Magee. He helped architect the 2023 national title roster and famously flipped 5-star QB Bryce Underwood from LSU. He had strong NIL ties through Champions Circle and ran an aggressive recruiting operation. But the new Wolverines head coach prefers a closed-loop system, and now he’s looking for his own general.

The frontrunner is Robert Blechen, Kyle Whittingham’s longtime right-hand man at Utah. Together, they led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 titles. And then there’s a chance to pursue former Alabama GM Courtney Morgan, who is currently at Washington. Then there’s Zach Terry, an experienced personnel executive with P4 stops. And whoever gets the job inherits a loaded roster led by Underwood.

Parting with Sean Magee shocked people because he was a proven difference maker. But it shows that Kyle Whittingham is doing it his way. The next GM hire will tell you whether this stays a top-five recruiting machine or shifts toward a development-first powerhouse that wins its way.