Outside of Tony Alford, who was quickly retained by new Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham, there was one coach that Wolverines fans wanted back: Lou Esposito.
In two seasons as the Michigan football defensive line coach, Esposito did a solid job. He was stellar on the recruiting trail, landing some major propsects in the 2025 class, such as Nate Marshall, as well as five-star EDGE Carter Meadows.
Esposito also oversaw the continued development of players like Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Derrick Moore, who turned in a 10-sack season in 2026 for Michigan football.
Sherrone Moore's staff had several weaknesses. Esposito wasn't one of them. However, when Lewis Powell was reportedly hired as the defensive line coach, it seemed like Esposito would be out of a job.
Kyle Whittingham is expected to retain defensive line coach Lou Esposito as part of his Michigan staff, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 2, 2026
Has coached four All-Big Ten selections through two years at Michigan. Also a highly ranked recruiter. Ranked sixth nationally for the 2026 class. pic.twitter.com/8U3GJaKIVE
That's not the case, though. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported on Thursday night that Whittingham would retain Esposito, who would still work with the defensive line. Powell coached Utah's defensive ends, so maybe he will coach those players and Esposito will handle the interior.
Either way, the Wolverines were able to retain one of their best recruiting assets. Esposito has been a great recruiter. He's got ties to the state of Michigan and the Midwest, which will be important after Whittingham hired a bunch of guys with ties to the West Coast, although Jim Harding, the new offensive line coach, is from Ohio.
With Esposito in the fold, the linebackers coach and secondary coach are the two positions left to be decided. Some other analysts will surely be hired, too. But as Kyle Whittingham said, most of the staff would be in place by the weekend, and it is.
Now, the portal is open and it's time to get to work.