David Denham - Assistant Defensive Line - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

David Denham

Title:
Assistant Defensive Line

David Denham is in his second year assisting Michigan's defensive line in 2026. He is a 20-year coaching veteran who has spent his entire career on the defensive side of the ball, working with defensive linemen exclusively since 2007.

Before joining the staff at U-M, Denham spent five seasons (2020-24) at Western Michigan as the program's defensive line coach. He was also named recruiting coordinator for the 2024 season. At WMU, Denham worked with future pros Braden Fiske and Marshawn Kneeland. Both were second-team all-conference selections, along with first-team picks Ralph Holley (2020) and Ali Fayad (2021). Altogether, five players earned six first- or second-team honors under Denham.

The Broncos were consistently among the nation's top sack-producing defenses with Denham on staff. The 2020 Broncos posted 19 sacks on the year (No. 13 FBS; No. 2 MAC), and the 2021 (43 sacks, No. 4 FBS) and 2022 (31 sacks, No. 35 FBS; No. 3 MAC) teams were also highly productive.

For the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Denham was the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at the University of Indianapolis, where he helped the team reach the NCAA Division II playoffs twice. Five players accumulated six All-Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) honors during his tenure, including two first-team selections in Jacob Schmatz (twice) and Jacob Jones. The 2018 team won the program's second-ever postseason victory, and the 2019 team led the GLVC in points against (17.7) and yards per game (323.5), and ranked second in sacks per game (2.55).

Denham spent a decade at Saint Joseph's College (2008-12) and Wabash College (2013-17) in various roles. At Wabash, the team went 47-8 over five seasons with two NCAA Division III playoff appearances, and at Saint Joseph's, Denham mentored three consecutive GLVC Defensive Linemen of the Year, including two-time Player of the Year Anthony Rouba. Denham was honored as the GLVC Assistant Coach of the Year in 2011.

Denham played at Division II Tiffin University (2001-02) before finishing his career at Ball State (2003-05). The 2005 Ray Louthen Senior Participation Award winner, Denham was one of nine gameday captains for the Cardinals.

After graduating, Denham began working as a graduate assistant with the Cardinals for the spring and summer sessions in 2006. Before the season began, he secured his first appointment as a position coach, working at Division-III Rose-Hulman, where he led the linebackers (2006) and defensive line (2007) rooms. Lineman Paul Spreen was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's Defensive MVP in 2007. Denham was a graduate assistant back at Ball State in between the 2007 spring ball and summer training sessions, working with the linebackers.

Denham and his wife, Rehannan, have three children: sons Anthony and Asher, and daughter Addison.

The Denham File
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana.
High School: Pike
College: Ball State (2006)
Family: Wife, Rehannan; sons Anthony and Asher, daughter Addison