Jesse Minter has dipped into the college ranks again, as the Ravens are reportedly hiring Defensive Line Coach Lou Esposito, per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.
Esposito, 48, spent the past two seasons coaching defensive linemen at the University of Michigan. He didn’t overlap with Minter, who was the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator in 2022-2023.
Yet Minter knew well of Esposito’s work developing linemen on former Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s defense.
Michigan schooled two defensive linemen who were drafted in the first round last year – Mason Graham (No. 5, Cleveland Browns) and Kenneth Grant (No. 13, Miami Dolphins. Another, Josaiah Stewart (Los Angeles Rams) went in the third round. In this year’s draft, Michigan again has two defensive line prospects in Derrick Moore and Rayshaun Benny.
Before coaching at Michigan, Esposito was Western Michigan’s defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for seven seasons (2017-2023), earning a reputation as one of the conference’s best.
In 2016, he was the head coach at Davenport University, a startup program in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and went 6-5 in his debut season.
Esposito is reportedly leaving Michigan just as his oldest son is set to join the Wolverines as a 2027 offensive lineman recruit.