The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 33 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan kept most of its roster to- gether as well as the majority of the recruiting class after the coaching change, with general manager Sean Ma- gee playing a huge role. Regardless, new head coach Kyle Whittingham opted to make a change, reportedly hiring former Notre Dame administrator Dave Pelo- quin to fill the role. Though he hadn't been officially an- nounced as of March 9, Peloquin had been in the building and working for several days, per sources. He spent last year with Athletes First, a major NIL corporation, before accepting the job at Michigan. Prior to that, Peloquin worked for Notre Dame for 21 years in various posi- tions, including assistant A.D. for foot- ball strategic initiatives (2023-25). Most of his short tenure at Athletes First was spent heading the company's College Representation Division, which focuses on guiding athletes to the NFL while being compensated appropriately along the way. "Dave Peloquin is a home run hire," On3 recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong said. "He's one of the pioneers in the space. He helped Notre Dame win a lot of games, has full understanding of the NIL side of things from his time at the end of his long tenure at Notre Dame, and is the perfect fit for the Maize and Blue." In addition, Michigan is also poach- ing Skylar Phan from USC to work in its football front office, Wiltfong re- ported March 3. Phan, a Texas graduate, worked at her alma mater and North Texas before she interned with the Las Vegas Raiders. "Phan is well respected in the space and was vital in USC signing Rivals' No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class," Wilt- fong reported. "Roles she could fill for the Wolverines include overseeing all official and unofficial [recruiting] visits, providing individual recruiting strate- gies, and building relationships with top targets and their families." "She's an up-and-coming superstar in the landscape," a source told Wilt- fong. In addition to these moves, Whit- tingham parted ways with recruiting staffers Albert Karschnia and Sam Pop- per. Popper has already surfaced as San Diego State's associate general man- ager, and more hires are expected for the Michigan recruiting department, as well. LOU ESPOSITO HEADS TO NFL, VANDERBILT'S LARRY BLACK JR. NAMED D-LINE COACH Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito left the program for the Balti- more Ravens and their new coach, for- mer U-M defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, last month. New head coach Kyle Whittingham conducted a national search before hiring Vanderbilt's Larry Black to replace him Feb. 18. Black will team up with Lewis Powell, the defensive ends coach, and handle the interior line. His brother, Jibreel Black, played on the defensive line at Michigan from 2010-13. Black is entering his 12th year working at the collegiate level and his ninth year as a position coach, having worked ex- clusively with the defensive line during his career. The Cincinnati native was a defensive tackle himself at Indiana, played professional football for two years with the Cincinnati Bengals before suffering a leg injury that ended his ca- reer, and got his start coaching at Car- thage College in Wisconsin. He moved on to Notre Dame before coaching at Toledo for three seasons and worked at Vanderbilt from 2022-25 before joining the Michigan staff. Black worked with Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame and reunited with him in Nashville. He was elevated to defensive run game coordinator last year, when the Commodores ranked 18th nation- ally in allowing 108.2 yards per game on the ground. Under Black's direction, the Com- modores continued their ascent de- fensively during his tenure. The unit ranked 10th in the SEC in run defense in his first season (2022) but rose to sixth in his final season (2025). His Midwest ties — he's spent his entire playing and coaching careers there — made him a great fit. He coached the defensive line for three years at Toledo in Ohio, his second stint with the Rockets, and helped them rise from 10th in the MAC in run defense during Black's first sea- son to top four in the league in his latter two years. Toledo was also top five in the ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL More Staff Changes For Michigan Football, Including A New General Manager Dave Peloquin was appointed as Michigan's new general manager for the football program. He spent 21 years working at Notre Dame, including as assistant A.D. for football strate- gic initiatives (2023-25). PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS 2026 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Sept. 5 — WESTERN MICHIGAN Sept. 12 — OKLAHOMA Sept. 19 — UTEP Sept. 26 — IOWA Oct. 3 — at Minnesota Oct. 10 — Bye Oct. 17 — PENN STATE Oct. 24 — INDIANA Oct. 31 — at Rutgers Nov. 7 — MICHIGAN STATE Nov. 14 — at Oregon Nov. 21 — UCLA Nov. 28 — at Ohio State Home games in ALL CAPS