There was some hope that Kyle Whittingham and Michigan football would be able to retain defensive line coach Lou Esposito. One of the two holdovers from the previous staff was initially kept by the Wolverines after Whittingham came aboard, and the staff appeared to be set; however, Esposito ended up being a target for former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who was just hired to oversee the Baltimore Ravens.
Whittingham and company reportedly made a late push to retain Esposito, even after it had been reported that he was departing for the NFL. However, ultimately, he decided to jump to the pro level rather than stay in college.
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And on Friday, Esposito said his goodbyes, officially thanking the maize and blue for his two years in Ann Arbor.
Despite his departure, his son, Louis Esposito — a 2027 Michigan football offensive line commit — has reaffirmed his pledge to remain in the class.
Esposito is the second Michigan defensive line coach to depart for the NFL in recent years. Before the previous staff brought him in, Mike Elston had overseen the group, but he followed Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers.
It remains unclear what Whittingham will do with Esposito’s departure. Lewis Powell, who was hired to oversee the edge rushers, previously worked with the entire Utah defensive line from 2016-18 before becoming more of a specialty coach with the defensive ends.
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This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan DL coach Lou Esposito says goodbye to Ann Arbor
