Just when you thought that Kyle Whittingham's Michigan football staff was finalized, former Wolverines defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, now the Ravens head coach, had other ideas, swiping defensive line coach Lou Esposito for Baltimore.
No one should blame Esposito for leaving. Coaching D-line in the NFL is a great opportunity. It will probably get him one step closer to being a defensive coordinator in the NFL or college.
Esposito was stellar in his two plus season for Michigan football. Maybe his greatest asset -- the one that Kyle Whittingham will need to worry the most about replacing -- was his ability to recruit.
Why Lou Esposito will be hard for Michigan football to replace
Esposito did an incredible job with the 2026 recruiting class, landing five-star EDGE Carter Meadows, as well as top-100 defensive tackle Titan Davis, beating Alabama head-to-head for his commitment.
The Wolverines also signed three other blue-chip prospects on the defensive line. Alister Vallejo and Blade McHale are among that group, as is newly-minted four-star EDGE Tariq Boney, which is another reminder that Esposito is a great evaluator of talent.
This move was reported by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports late Thursday, during the Michigan basketball game. The Ravens confirmed it later by reporting it on their site.
The #Ravens have finalized a deal to hire Michigan’s Lou Esposito as their new defensive line coach, a source tells @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 6, 2026
Esposito, whom @jeffzrebiec had reported that Baltimore was close to hiring, coached four All-Big Ten selections the last two years at Michigan. https://t.co/AIGnojTajk pic.twitter.com/d0gHnBYDGY
We have already outlined some potential replacements for Esposito. Lewis Powell, the former Utah EDGE coach, who is coaching EDGES for Michigan, could be a candidate to coach the entire defensive line. There could be some promotion from within.
However, the one thing about this new staff is that it doesn't have many ties to the state of Michigan. Esposito, who worked at Western Michigan before, was the one who did. That hurts as much as anything, so as much as the D-line is a focus, landing another coach with in-state ties wouldn't hurt either.
It will be fascinating to see what Kyle Whittingham does, but either way, it's a blow to the Wolverines, especially on the recruiting trail.