Western Michigan University Athletics

Lou Esposito joined the Western Michigan staff for his second stint in January of 2017 and serves as the defensive coordinator, mentoring Western Michigan’s defensive ends. Esposito served as the defensive line coach from 2017-19 before shifting to defensive ends for the 2020 campaign. Esposito was retained by new head coach Lance Taylor to lead the defense in 2023. 

Esposito began in 2017 as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach and was appointed as the interim defensive coordinator on November 14, 2018. The interim tag was removed during the spring of 2019. Esposito is entering his seventh season overall as an assistant coach at WMU, having served as the Broncos’ defensive line coach from 2010-12. 

During the 2022 season, WMU's defense was one of the best in the conference. The Broncos ranked third in scoring defense at 22.4 and second in yards allowed with 347.4. Senior linebacker Zaire Barnes was named First Team All-MAC and went on to be drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft in the sixth round by the New York Jets. (DT) Braden Fiske and (DE) Andre Carter earned Second Team All-MAC honors, while (CB) Keni-H Lovely and (LB) Corvin Moment earned Third Team All-MAC selections. 

In 2021 the Broncos were second in the MAC in sacks by, recording 40 in 12 games. WMU also was fourth in scoring defense. Senior defensive end Ali Fayad became the ninth player in program history to win MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Fayad had 40 total tackles and a career-high 13 sacks on the season, also earning First Team All-MAC honors. (DL) Ralph Holley, (LB) Zaire Barnes and (CB) Dorian Jackson all earned Second Team All-MAC honors, while (LB) Corvin Moment earned Third Team honors. 

The 2020 season proved a challenge unlike any other, as the Broncos played a six-game, MAC-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Esposito had to navigate a season defined by injuries and uncertainty. Still, the WMU defense ranked 13th nationally with 3.17 sacks per game (19 in six games). In addition, the Bronco defense produced three All-MAC selections in first-team DL Ralph Holley, first-team safety Bricen Garner and third-team LB Treshaun Hayward.

Esposito’s impact on the Bronco defense in 2019 was felt in the scoring column as WMU held opponents to just 25.9 points per game to stand second in the Mid-American Conference. The mark was the best for the program since yielding 19.8 in 2016. Western Michigan finished the 2018 season ranked 10th in the league, surrendering 34.5 points per contest. 

The Broncos also went from 12th in the league in pass efficiency defense (160.69) in 2018 to seventh (136.70) under Esposito’s direction in 2019. Western Michigan exceptionally stout in pass defense during the latter portion of the 2019 campaign, holding three of its final five opponents to less than 150 passing yards. 

The defensive line excelled in 2019 as the Broncos finished third in the MAC in tackles for loss per game (6.50) and second in sacks per game (2.77). The Bronco defense finished 21st in the country in sacks per contest in 2019. A year earlier, WMU finished fifth in the league in sacks per contest with 2.4. Esposito’s defense created 22 turnovers in 2019 to tie for the second most in the MAC, up from a seventh-place finish in the league in 2018. 

Individually along the defensive line in 2019, Esposito guided junior Ali Fayad to second team All-MAC honors. The Dearborn, Mich., native finished first in the league with 0.31 fumbles recovered per game and sixth nationally. He also checked in second in the MAC in tackles for loss per game (1.13) and sacks per game (0.50). At Northern Illinois, Fayad finished with a career-high 4.5 TFL, the most by a Bronco in a game since Drew Nowak’s 5.0 versus Akron on November 25, 2011. 

Ralph Holley also grew under Esposito in 2019, collecting a team second-best 10.5 TFL to go along with 4.5 sacks. Holley recorded 38 tackles and a quarterback pressure and started every game. 

All-America linebacker Treshaun Hayward thrived under Esposito, recording 142 tackles to stand third nationally. Fellow linebacker Drake Spears also turned in a strong senior year with Esposito at the helm of the defense, collecting 96 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, two interceptions and three quarterback pressures. Spears earned second team all-league honors.

As a whole, the Broncos’ 2019 defense featured four players with 9.0 or more TFL, four with 4.5 or more sacks and six with 60 or more tackles. Involving the team’s secondary in reaching the quarterback, Esposito was able to collect 12.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks from WMU cornerbacks and safeties. Sophomore Patrick Lupro, who took over as a starting corner in week five, collected third team All-MAC accolades while racking up 64 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, three interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups. 

The 2018 season had Esposito guide Fayad to 12.0 TFL and 7.5 sacks while racking up five quarterback pressures and four forced fumbles. Holley was another of Esposito’s successful linemen, reaching 9.5 TFL and 7.0 sacks in 2018. 

After Esposito’s promotion to interim defensive coordinator, WMU defeated Northern Illinois 28-21 in the regular season finale. Esposito’s unit limited the MAC West champion Huskies to 262 yards of total offense in the best league performance by the group of the season. As a team, Western Michigan finished the game against NIU with 4.0 sacks, 10.0 TFL and three turnovers gained.

During the 2017 season, sophomore Antonio Balabani was Esposito’s most impactful defensive lineman, collecting 7.5 TFL and 4.0 sacks with three quarterback pressures. Senior Andre Turner chipped in with 6.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage, including 3.0 sacks. 

Esposito returned to Kalamazoo prior to the 2017 season after serving as the first head coach in Davenport University’s program since 2014.

At Davenport, the Panthers played their inaugural season in 2016, going 6-5. Off the field, Esposito was in charge of recruiting 125 student-athletes in two years to establish the program and oversee a multi-million-dollar fundraising campaign for the new football facility.

Prior to his time at Davenport, Esposito was defensive coordinator at Ferris State University, in 2013. While there, he improved the rush defense from 13th in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to first in a single season and ranked in the top 25 in two of the national polls. He led a defense that finished in the top five in many GLIAC statistical categories in 2013. Ferris State led the GLIAC in total defense along with rushing defense and team passing efficiency defense.

During his first stop in Kalamazoo, from 2010-12, Esposito coached the defensive line. While working with the unit, he coached the 2011 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Nowak, who led the league in sacks that year. Nowak went on to be named a Phil Steele All-American. 

Esposito also coached Freddie Bishop, who went on to play for the New York Jets in the NFL. Paul Hazel was another NFL disciple of Esposito’s, spending time with the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and New York Giants. 

A past Division I offensive lineman at the University of Memphis, Esposito spent six years as the head coach at Division II Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) College before moving to Western Michigan. At St. Joseph’s, Esposito was the Great Lakes Football Conference (GLFC) Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2009 and posted a 30-25 record while recording a 100 percent graduation rate for four-year athletes in his years guiding the program. He led the team to a pair of GLFC championships in 2006 and 2009.

He coached 23 All-GLFC student-athletes in 2009 alone, ranking first in both rushing offense and defense. The Pumas also had the top-ranked red zone offense in the GLFC, boasting the 2009 GLFC Offensive Player of the Year and an unblemished record in conference play.

During his playing days at Memphis, Esposito was a four-year letterwinner on the offensive line and served as the team captain in 1999 and 2000. 

Upon graduation, he signed a professional contract to play for the Arena Football League’s Memphis Xplorers in 2001 and went on to join the Xplorers’ coaching staff in 2002 and 2003.

Esposito and his wife, Brooke, have four children - Louis J. Esposito IV, Emilia Rose, Anthony and Mason.