In the Trenches, Presented by Meijer
Jon takes fans inside Michigan football with one-on-one interviews, game previews, postgame recaps and more.
MGoBlue Podcasts
Welcome to MGoBlue Podcasts, the official audio hub of Michigan Athletics. Explore recurring series featuring in-depth conversations, insider access and the latest from across all Wolverine teams.
Interviews Analysis Insider Access
Podcast Series
Defend the Block
Brian takes fans inside Michigan basketball with in-depth interviews, game recaps and behind-the-scenes insight from both programs.
Conqu'ring Heroes
Brian spotlights Michigan teams from across campus through conversations with student-athletes, coaches and other key voices.
Michigan Athletics YouTube
Jon and Brian also host live football and basketball streams throughout the year on the Michigan Athletics YouTube channel, including a weekly show every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. during the football season.
Meet the Hosts
Jon Jansen
A first-team All-America offensive tackle and Academic All-American in 1998, Jon Jansen started all 50 games during his Michigan career and served as a two-time captain. He helped lead the Wolverines to back-to-back Big Ten titles and the 1997 national championship and was named the 1998 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. A second-round NFL Draft pick, Jansen played 11 NFL seasons with Washington and Detroit. He has contributed to Michigan Athletics since 2014 and was inducted into the Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor in 2025.
Brian Boesch
Brian Boesch has contributed to Michigan Athletics since 2014, when he became the studio host for Michigan football and men's basketball. He became the lead radio play-by-play voice for men's basketball in 2019, the same year he called the baseball team's thrilling College World Series run on radio. As the Director of Broadcasting for the Michigan Sports Network from LEARFIELD, Boesch manages all radio broadcast talent and logistics for the athletic department, acts as the executive producer for MGoBlue Podcasts, and hosts the pregame and postgame shows for Michigan football.
MGoBlue Podcasts are produced by the Michigan Sports Network from LEARFIELD in partnership with Michigan Athletics and are part of the Varsity Podcast Network.
Defend the Block 400 - Mike Boynton Jr.
Listen It was an eventful trip for Michigan men's basketball to Lithuania and Croatia, and head coach Mike Boynton Jr. sits down with Brian Boesch to recap it during this bonus episode of Defend the Block. Boynton discusses the unfortunate injury to Brandon McCoy Jr., shares his thoughts on the players who suited up in Europe, and talks about a special weekend coming up for last season's national championship team. [ Transcript ]
Published on 9/4/2026
Defend the Block 399 - Courtney Ogden & Malachi Brown
Listen With the basketball regular season just two months away, we check in with a player from both Michigan programs this week on Defend the Block. Graduate transfer Courtney Ogden kicks off the episode by discussing her decision to join the Wolverines, the key elements of her game, and some early observations from summer practices. Then, freshman Malachi Brown stops by at the 15:30 mark to break down his unique path to Ann Arbor, reflect on the days following the head coaching change, and detail the key aspects of his game. [ Transcript ]
Published on 9/1/2026
Defend the Block 398 – Brandon McCoy Jr. & Quinn Costello
Listen Michigan men's basketball has a talented freshman class getting acclimated to the program, and Brian Boesch visits with two of them on this week's episode of Defend the Block. Brandon McCoy Jr. discusses his commitment to the program during the Final Four, his journey to Ann Arbor, and some key aspects of his game. Then, around the 18:45 mark, Quinn Costello reflects on his decision to become a Wolverine, breaks down his strengths and areas of improvement on the court, and shares how his parents helped him reach college basketball. [ Transcript ]
Published on 8/25/2026
Defend the Block 397 - Moustapha Thiam
Listen Transfer center Moustapha Thiam is our guest this week on Defend the Block. Thiam discusses his decision to join the Wolverines, his unique basketball journey, and some early impressions of the program. [ Transcript ]
Published on 8/18/2026
Defend the Block 396 - Dusty May
Listen Brian visits with former head coach Dusty May, who details his decision to leave Ann Arbor for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, reflects on last year's run to the national championship, and shares why he believes Michigan will succeed under Mike Boynton Jr. [ Transcript | Watch ]
Published on 8/11/2026
Defend the Block 395 - Dylan Murphy
Listen Earlier this week, Michigan announced the final assistant coach for the men's basketball staff, and he joins Brian this week on Defend the Block. Dylan Murphy discusses his decision to accept the role here in Ann Arbor, reflects on his unique journey through the coaching ranks, and shares his early thoughts on the program's culture and roster. [ Transcript ]
Published on 8/4/2026
Defend the Block 394 - Mike Martin
Listen We get to know the newest member of the men's basketball coaching staff on this week's show. Assistant coach Mike Martin discusses his decision to accept the position at Michigan, the items he has attacked since arriving in Ann Arbor, and his early impressions of the program. [ Transcript ]
Published on 7/28/2026
Defend the Block 393 - Mike Boynton Jr.
Listen David and Meredith Kaplan Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Boynton Jr. is our guest this week on Defend the Block. Boynton details the early days in his new role, describes the process of retaining most of the roster, and shares some early observations from the team's summer workouts. [ Transcript ]
Published on 7/21/2026
Defend the Block 392 - J.P. Estrella
Listen After sharing some thoughts on Friday's appointment of Mike Boynton Jr. as the program's head coach, Brian visits with another incoming transfer this week on Defend the Block. J.P. Estrella discusses his decision to join the Wolverines, some of the key elements of his game, how he fits in with the rest of the roster and his early thoughts on the Ann Arbor restaurant scene. [ Transcript ]
Published on 7/14/2026
Defend the Block 391 - Jalen Reed
Listen Get to know a new member of Michigan men's basketball this week, as Brian visits with LSU transfer forward Jalen Reed. Reed reflects on his decision to commit to Michigan, details his challenging injury issues in recent seasons, and describes some of the key elements of his game. [ Transcript ]
Published on 7/7/2026
Defend the Block 390 - CJ Moore
Listen Brian Boesch visits with The Athletic's CJ Moore, who has written multiple articles about Michigan men's basketball in the last week. Moore reacts to Dusty May's decision to accept the Dallas Mavericks' head coach position and reflects on his conversation with interim head coach Mike Boynton Jr. [ Transcript ]
Published on 6/30/2026
Defend the Block 389 - Reacting to Dusty May's Departure
Listen With the news official, Brian Boesch shares his initial thoughts on Dusty May's departure to the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and Mike Boynton Jr.'s appointment as Michigan's interim head coach. [ Transcript ]
Published on 6/23/2026
Defend the Block 388 - Oscar Goodman
Listen Defend the Block returns with a wide-ranging conversation with Oscar Goodman, who is busy preparing for his redshirt sophomore season with the Wolverines. Goodman reflects on last season's run to the national championship, details why he is willing to sacrifice for the good of the team, and discusses how he has improved on the floor. [ Transcript ]
Published on 6/16/2026
Defend the Block 387 - Matt Aldred
Listen Brian visits with Matt Aldred, Michigan's strength & conditioning coach, on this week's episode of Defend the Block. Aldred reflects on the Wolverines' run to the 2026 national championship, discusses his partnerships with the returning players, and details his onboarding process with Michigan's newcomers. [ Transcript ]
Published on 5/26/2026
Defend the Block 386 - Mike Boynton Jr.
Listen Brian concludes his series of interviews with returning assistant coaches, as Mike Boynton Jr. is his guest on Defend the Block this week. Boynton reflects on the Wolverines' run to the 2026 national championship and details the approach Michigan's staff took to build next season's roster. [ Transcript ]
Published on 5/19/2026
Defend the Block 385 - Akeem Miskdeen
Listen Brian visits with assistant coach Akeem Miskdeen, who reflects on his path to a national championship season in Ann Arbor, details some of the foremost memories from last year's team, and discusses the program's new-look roster for the 2026-27 campaign. [ Transcript ]
Published on 5/12/2026
Defend the Block 384 - Kyle Church
Listen Assistant Coach and General Manager Kyle Church joins Defend the Block this week to reflect on the Wolverines' run to the national championship, detail his role in building the roster each season, and break down the five new Wolverines who officially joined the team last week (Brandon McCoy Jr., Lincoln Cosby, J.P. Estrella, Jalen Reed, and Moustapha Thiam). [ Transcript ]
Published on 5/5/2026
Defend the Block 383 - Drew Williamson
Listen Brian visits with Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development Drew Williamson on this week's episode of Defend the Block. Williamson reflects on the Wolverines' run to the national title, details some of the key moments of Michigan's 37-win campaign, and breaks down the development ahead for several returning players for the 2026-27 season. [ Transcript ]
Published on 4/28/2026
Defend the Block 382 - Fan Reflections
Listen This week, we turn the podcast over to Michigan Basketball fans who reflect, via emails and voice messages, on the Wolverines' magical run. Thanks to all those who took the time to share their thoughts on this special team, season, and championship.
Published on 4/21/2026
Defend the Block 381 - Season Reflections
Listen In a special edition of Defend the Block, Brian Boesch reflects on some of his memories from each player, the Wolverines' staff, and the team's postseason journey. We're also inviting you to share why this season was special. You can send an email or an audio file to Brian.Boesch@learfield.com, and we may feature your submission in a future episode!
Published on 4/14/2026
Defend the Block 380 - Tim McCormick
Listen Former Wolverine Tim McCormick joins Brian Boesch to reflect on Michigan's remarkable run to the National Championship. McCormick shares some stories from his time in Indianapolis, breaks down some of the key moments from the NCAA Tournament, and discusses some of his favorite moments of the season.
Published on 4/10/2026
Defend the Block 379 - UConn Recap - National Champions!
Listen For the first time since 1989, Michigan wins the National Championship! Listen back to the full postgame show from Indianapolis, as Brian Boesch and Terry Mills react to the Wolverines' victory over UConn and visit with a host of players and coaches.
Published on 4/7/2026
Defend the Block 378 - Arizona Recap
Listen The Wolverines earned a wire-to-wire win over Arizona to punch their ticket to Monday's National Championship Game! Brian Boesch and Terry Mills offer their perspectives on Michigan's impressive 91-73 victory. Our postgame interviews begin around the 19-minute mark and feature Trey McKenney, Elliot Cadeau, Dusty May and Nimari Burnett.
Published on 4/5/2026
Defend the Block 377 - National Analysis
Listen Brian chats with several national college basketball voices from the Final Four in Indianapolis. NBC's John Fanta, EvanMiya.com's Evan Miyakawa, The Athletic's CJ Moore, Westwood One's Robbie Hummel, and CBS' Tracy Wolfson share their thoughts on the Wolverines' NCAA Tournament run and Saturday's matchup with Arizona.
Published on 4/2/2026
