Zack Esposito Hired as USAW National Freestyle Development and Resident Coach

In late June, news broke that James Green was returning to competition and leaving his post as USA Wrestling’s National Freestyle Development Coach. Today, USA Wrestling announced that Oklahoma State assistant coach Zack Esposito will be Green’s successor. 

Esposito has spent the last seven years as Oklahoma State’s Associate Head Coach and he was on staff for a total of 14 years at his alma mater. During his time on the OSU staff, Esposito saw four wrestlers combine to win 10 national titles. As a team, Oklahoma State captured 11 Big 12 championships during that time period. 

As a competitor, Esposito was a three-time All-American and 2005 national champion. His title came on the storied 2005 squad that featured a total of five national champions and outdistanced second-place Michigan by 70 points. The Cowboys claimed national titles in each year that Esposito started. When his collegiate career concluded, in 2006, Esposito had amassed a 120-12 record and won three Big 12 championships. 

The National Freestyle Development Coach position had been an important one for USA Wrestling. In 2022, the U17, U20, and U23 World Teams combined to bring home 18 medals in men’s freestyle alone. This week, in Amman, Jordan, the U20 men’s freestyle team claimed eight medals, two of which were gold, and finished in second place to Iran. 

In the coming days, more news should come to the forefront regarding Esposito’s replacement on the Cowboy staff.