By: Joe Wisniewski
April 24, 2024
Photo Credit: mlive.com
On Tuesday March 26, the University of Michigan officially introduced Dusty May as the new head coach of its Men’s Basketball program. May, a graduate of Indiana University, joins Michigan after back to back NCAA tournament appearances while coaching at Florida Atlantic University. In the 2023 NCAA tournament, May led the Owls to the school’s first ever Final Four appearance. Warde Manuel, Michigan’s athletic director, negotiated a deal with May that secures him $18.75 million dollars over a span of five years.
Dusty May will have his hands full in the coming weeks given that Michigan only had three confirmed scholarship players returning to their roster at the time of his hire. Fortunately for May, he has an abundance of players to choose from via the NCAA Transfer Portal. Over 1,600 players have officially entered their name in the portal seeking a new school in which to enroll. May will likely be followed by past members of his FAU teams who have entered the transfer portal, which is a common recurrence for coaches who relocate. Champions Circle, the University’s official NIL collective partner, started the “March with May Campaign” immediately after May’s hire. The campaign was run in hopes to collect NIL donations to support the Michigan basketball student-athletes and their new coach. As of April 15, the campaign has raised more than $26,000. May has managed to receive four commitments in the past week, good enough to have the Wolverines ranked inside 247Sports’s top ten team transfer portal recruiting rankings.
Dusty May provides a breath of fresh air for Michigan basketball fans, as the team is looking to bounce back from an 8-24 record. The 8-24 record was good enough for last place in the Big Ten Conference, marking the fewest wins since 1981-82 and the second-worst win percentage in the program’s 107 seasons. May was one of, if not the most sought after coach during the 2024 college basketball coaching carousel due to the success he achieved at a mid-major, non-Power 6 school down in South Florida. May stated in his introductory press conference that Michigan Basketball will be easy on the eyes to watch, while also noting that he plans on spending “25 to 30 percent” of his time working for NIL. While success is anything but guaranteed in college basketball, Dusty May’s arrival in Ann Arbor is a move that has brought new hype to the Michigan fanbase.