NC State wrestling hires Zack Esposito as associate head coach
NC State wrestling will have a new face on the bench as Wolfpack coach Pat Popolizio announced Zack Esposito will join the staff as associate head coach starting next season Thursday.
“Zack is a big impact hire”, Popolizio said. “He comes from an elite background of wrestling, has produced at all levels and is a proven winner. His values mirror everything that our program stands for and I am confident that we will continue to build on the momentum that has continued to grow in the past several seasons. He shares the same goals as the rest of us, to win a national title.”
Esposito, a former Oklahoma State associate head coach, replaces longtime assistant Adam Hall, who will depart to be the head coach at Utah Valley after the NCAA tournament. Hall was on staff for eight seasons and helped the Wolfpack to six straight ACC titles in his tenure in the Pack’s wrestling room.
“I am thrilled to join Pat Popolizio and the NC State wrestling staff”, Esposito said. “His reputation as a coach and the culture he has cultivated at NC State are truly remarkable. I want to express my gratitude to USA Wrestling, Bill Zadick, and Joe Russell for their unwavering support. The season spent with them was an invaluable learning experience. I look forward to developing student-athletes and working alongside the rest of the dedicated staff members of the Wolfpack wrestling program.”
NC State’s newest assistant, Esposito, was most recently at USA Freestyle Wrestling in a developmental coaching position.
During his time as a coach in Stillwater, Okla., Esposito helped coach five different wrestlers to a total of 10 NCAA titles. He also helped the Cowboys win 11 Big 12 tournament titles and had 69 individual conference champions during his time on Oklahoma State’s staff.
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He began his coaching career as a club coach in 2010 before he became an assistant coach in 2012. Esposito assumed the role of the Cowboys’ associate head coach in 2017.
A former individual national champion at 149 pounds in 2005, Esposito was a part of Oklahoma State’s four consecutive NCAA team championships from 2003 through the 2006 campaign as an athlete. He logged three top-three finishes, including his title as well as a runner-up finish.
Esposito held a 120-12 record as a collegiate wrestler, including a 35-1 record during his NCAA title season in 2005. His 120 wins are the 10th most all-time in Oklahoma State history and his 32 career major decisions are the sixth-most in program history.
In addition to his time on staff at Oklahoma State, Esposito also served as a coach for the title-winning 2018 World Cup team and was a coach for the U.S. Junior Freestyle World team that won its first title since 1984 in 2017.
