When John Beilein left Michigan basketball in May 2019 for the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was shocking news, and it left the Wolverines high and dry, given the late timing. And while the maize and blue have a lot of juice given the national championship, Dusty May departing for the Dallas Mavericks may be even worse, especially as he’s leaving more than a month later than Beilein had.
Now, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, who had an extension with May agreed to in principle, has the unenviable task of finding a new head coach. The options may be quite limited, given that this sort of thing tends to happen in March, not June. But, options he still has.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello put together a list of candidates, ranging from internal to external, for Michigan basketball. Here are the names he put forth, along with the reasoning.
If Manuel looks internally for May’s replacement, assistant coach Mike Boynton would be a logical option. He’s been the team’s defensive coordinator and has experience as a high-major head coach, having spent seven seasons at the helm of Oklahoma State. Boynton led the Cowboys to one NCAA tournament appearance, while also landing elite recruit Cade Cunningham, who ended up as the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
If Michigan opts to conduct a more wide-ranging search, where might it look?
Near the top of the list could be Saint Louis’ Josh Schertz, a close friend of May’s. Schertz has become one of the most sought-after names on the coaching carousel the past few years, leading Indiana State to 32 wins in 2024 and the Billikens to a second-round NCAA tournament appearance this past season. He was linked to the Syracuse and NC State openings in March, but returned to Saint Louis with a new contract.
A few names bandied about when the North Carolina job opened in the spring were Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington, Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland and Iowa’s Ben McCollum; Byington and McCollum both agreed to new contracts to remain at their current schools. Byington and McCasland both had sizable buyouts back in the spring, though, and it’s unclear whether any of the three would entertain leaving at this point in the offseason.
Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger is constantly linked to other jobs, but has maintained he’s quite content in Ames and has shown minimal interest in leaving. He has built one of the most consistent programs in the country at Iowa State and has a great relationship with athletic director Jamie Pollard.
Alabama’s Nate Oats coached high school basketball in Michigan for more than a decade, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Wolverines pursue him. But he signed a new contract in April that runs through the 2031-32 season and made him one of the five highest-paid coaches in college basketball.
Billy Donovan, who won two national championships at Florida before spending the last 11 years with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls, was considered a primary candidate at North Carolina but nothing transpired with the Tar Heels. Since then, he stepped down from the Bulls and is now likely going to be near the top of every big college (and NBA) wish list moving forward.
The trouble for Michigan now comes also via the transfer portal, which is open to the roster for 30 days. There was no indication that May would be departing, as he spent the past few weeks appearing at engagements, recruiting, and doing media tours, discussing this upcoming Michigan basketball season.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Who will replace Dusty May at Michigan basketball?
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire | USA TODAY Network
