No matter who ends up being hired as the newest head coach of the Michigan football program, the coaching staff is expected to experience a major shake up. However, there are a few guys currently in Ann
Arbor that should be in contention to stick around in Ann Arbor.
Here are three assistant coaches the next man in charge should consider keeping around.
Tony Alford (running backs coach)
With more than three decades of experience, Alford is widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier running backs coaches and is an elite recruiter. Alford was instrumental in adding Justice Haynes (top rated running back transfer in 2025) and Savion Hiter (highest ranked running back recruit in 2026), so it certainly wouldn’t hurt to keep his recruiting prowess around moving forward.
In addition to succeeding on the recruiting trail, Alford helped Michigan record the third-most rushing yards (213.2 per game) in the Big Ten in 2025. The next head coach should retain him if possible.
Lou Esposito (defensive line coach)
The defensive line has been the biggest strength of Michigan’s defense the last two years, and Esposito’s impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. He oversaw Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant’s dominant 2024 campaigns, and was a huge part of Derrick Moore, Josaiah Stewart and Rayshaun Benny’s development into being All-Big Ten performers as well.
Not to mention, Esposito has also solidified himself as a recruiter on the rise, landing four-star edge rusher Nate Marshall in the 2025 class and five-star edge rusher Carter Meadows this most recent cycle. It’s clear retaining Esposito would pay dividends on the field and on the recruiting trail.
LaMar Morgan (defensive backs coach)
Sticking with the theme of being a high level recruiter, that’s exactly what Morgan has proven to be during his time in Ann Arbor. He has been the lead recruiter on several prospects since being hired last year, highlighted by 2025 four-stars Shamari Earls, Elijah Dotson, Jayden Sanders, and Jordan Young, along with 2026 four-stars Andre Clarke Jr., Jamarion Vincent and Jordan Deck.
It never hurts to be a great recruiter, but it’s also important for success to translate to the field. Morgan’s secondary has been very solid through two years, but not exactly elite. Because of his overall body of work both on and off the field, though, it would be a good thing for the incoming head coach to keep him around.
Honorable mentions (Wink Martindale, Chip Lindsey, Biff Poggi, Brian Jean-Mary, Steve Casula)
The possibility of retaining Wink Martindale and Chip Lindsey will depend on what the new head coach specializes in, but it seems more likely than not that both will be gone. Brian Jean-Mary and Steve Casula have found success the two years at Michigan, but it likely won’t be enough for them to hang onto their jobs in the next regime. Lastly, Biff Poggi represents Michigan’s culture as much as anybody on the staff, so maybe the incumbent head coach would consider retaining him.
