Michigan basketball will not look far for its head coach in the 2026-27 season.
The Wolverines are working toward hiring assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. as interim head coach, the Detroit Free Press confirmed Monday, June 22, with a person inside the university, after coach Dusty May accepted the Dallas Mavericks head coach job. The person was not permitted to speak publicly.
This is a logical solution for many reasons. Boynton has Power Four experience after coaching Oklahoma State from 2017-24 to a 119–109 record, which included a season with Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and the Detroit Pistons’ star guard.
Boynton was the defensive architect for U-M the past two years, with the Wolverines earning the No. 1-ranked defense in the country in 2025-26, per advanced stats site kenpom.com.
Beyond the experience, this could be a very volatile transition for the program if it’s not handled carefully.
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Five days after a new coach is hired and publicly announced, the transfer portal will open for a period of 15 days for U-M players to explore other options. Between Trey McKenney, Elliot Cadeau, JP Estrella, Moustapha Thiam, and Brandon McCoy, there’s a ton of top-end talent that Michigan must desperately try to hold onto if it’s going to have any hope of repeating as national champions − which at the moment feels like a future problem.
For now, U-M simply needs to keep its roster intact and do damage control behind the scenes so a roster that was seen as one of the top 10 in America doesn’t immediately disintegrate.
May spoke extremely highly of Boynton last season.
“He’s an elite basketball coach,” May said in early April after U-M’s Final Four win. “I’m the head coach at Michigan, he’s just as good as I am. He’s just as prepared. He’s been invaluable for me.
“The best part about him is he covers my blind spots before they’re blind. There’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t call me and want to take something off of my plate that I haven’t thought of and that’s what he is. He’s a forward thinker, he’s got a great feel for people.”
ESPN first reported Boynton’s expected promotion.
There are other options floating around, with names such as Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger, Saint Louis’ Joshua Schertz, or former Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan. But there’s reason to believe U-M could take a swing next year on those names without jeopardizing a roster that’s in pretty good shape this season if the majority sticks around.
Boynton could be a win-win as an interim. He already has the knowledge of the system and relationships with both the players and staff that could give U-M the best chance to win immediately.
If it goes well, that could be the proof needed to sign him for the foreseeable future. If he doesn’t live up to expectation, then U-M could pivot and conduct a thorough search in the 2027 offseason, when the transfer portal is open.
U-M has shown a penchant for internal hires under athletic director Warde Manuel.
One didn’t go very well, when Sherrone Moore took over the football team for Jim Harbaugh. Moore missed the College Football Playoff in both seasons and was fired for an inappropriate relationship.
Another has gone quite well in Brandon Naurato, the hockey coach who took over for the fired Mel Pearson and has gone to three Frozen Four’s in four seasons.
Boynton’s background shows he could be the steady hand the Wolverines are looking for.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone that didn’t say positive things about him, especially in this climate when we love to say negative things about anyone and everyone,” May said of Boynton in April. “He’s just a professional. … I hope we can keep him for a little bit longer because I know as long as he’s here, we’ll be better than we would otherwise.”
The Free Press had Boynton on the “Hail Yes!” podcast this spring. Watch the conversation below:
This story was updated to clarify the new transfer portal rules.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball expected to name Mike Boynton Jr. interim coach
Reporting by Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
