Vanderbilt coach has connection to Batesville family

(NASHVILLE, TN.) – The Vanderbilt football team is ranked in the Top 25 after a convincing win over South Carolina on Saturday. 

It just so happens that one of Vanderbilt's coaches has a direct connection to the Batesville area! 

Kaylin (Ploeger) Black is a 2008 Jac-Cen-Del alum who graduated from Indiana University. 

During her freshman year in college, she began dating Larry Black who is a Cincinnati native and played football for IU. 

Kaylin and Larry got married in 2016 and they now have three children. 

After his playing career, Larry began coaching which has included stops at Notre Dame and Toledo. 

He joined the Vanderbilt coaching staff in 2022 and currently serves as a Defensive Line coach for the Commodores. 

Black’s defensive lineman played a significant role in Vanderbilt securing their first winning season in over a decade in 2024. His group saw improvements in nearly every category, including the rushing game and sacks. 

Larry and the Vanderbilt squad will face Georgia State this weekend with LSU, Alabama and Missouri coming up in the next few weeks.

The Black family visits Batesville often during the offseason and Larry has plenty to talk about with his in-laws, as Kaylin’s dad is former Batesville football coach Mike Ploeger.