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Illinois State University Athletics

Ben Black

Ben Black

Ben Black was hired as an assistant coach prior to the 2023 season and will work with the team’s defensive line in his third season on staff in 2025. He returned to Illinois State, after serving as a defensive analyst at Auburn working with the defensive line.

In 2024, the Redbird defense was particularly stout against the run, ranking fourth in the conference in rushing yards given up per game at 157.1. The group also finished year fifth in the league in defensive efficiency at 135.7 and ranked No. 29 in the country with 2.43 sacks per game. Defensive tackle Jake Anderson was a MVFC Second Team selection, after he ranked sixth on the team in tackles with 59 (21 solo) and was credited with 3.0 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup and one forced fumble in addition to a 55 yard interception for a touchdown in the FCS playoff win at Southeast Missouri State. 

The 2023 season saw the Redbirds have nine new starters on defense, but that group came together quickly to become one of the best in the MVFC. The Redbird defense ranked No. 3 in the country in sacks per game and ranked No. 16 in tackles-for-loss per contest. Senior defensive end Josh Dinga capped off his six-year career at ISU with All-MVFC Second-Team plaudits, as he ranked second on the team with a career-best 7.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss to go along with 34 total tackles.

A four-year starter at Robert Morris, Black tallied 43 consecutive starts along the defensive line, and was named an all-conference player in 2014 and 2015. After graduation, RMU immediately hired Black as its defensive coach and his work helped Robert Morris lead the conference in total defense, rushing defense and scoring defense in his first season as an assistant in 2016. 

Black then became a graduate assistant at Illinois State, helping the Redbirds reach the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs in 2019 as they led the FCS in sacks and red zone defense. Following his time at ISU, Black worked for two seasons at Indiana as a defensive graduate assistant before joining the Auburn staff.