Dusty May
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Dusty May Named Michigan Men's Basketball Head Coach Comment Count

Alex.Drain March 23rd, 2024 at 10:20 PM

During the middle of the Michigan Hockey game, news broke that Michigan Men's Basketball has a new head coach. That would be Florida Atlantic University coach Dusty May: 

May, 47, has been the head coach at Florida Atlantic since the 2018-19 season. He inherited a historically awful program and immediately delivered them to decency, putting together four seasons that were mostly treading water before authoring a campaign for the ages last season. His FAU Owls went 18-2 to win Conference USA, both the regular season and tournament crown, before going on a Cinderella run to the Final Four. FAU came up just short in the national semifinals at the hands of the San Diego State Aztecs, but it was the sort of campaign that put May on national radars as a rising coach, with FAU's final record being 35-4. May's Owls returned most players from last season for 2023-24 and went 25-9 overall, 14-4 to finish 2nd in the American Athletic Conference, a new conference that they joined (in addition to playing a difficult non-conference schedule). 

May has connections to the Midwest and the state of Michigan. He was born in Peoria, Illinois, and attended high school in Greene, Indiana. May was a student manager under Bob Knight while attending Indiana University, from which he graduated in 2000. He worked video coaching jobs at Indiana and USC before getting his first assistant coaching job at Eastern Michigan for the 2005-06 season. From there he was an assistant at Murray State, UAB, Louisiana Tech, and Florida, before taking the FAU job. 

May was under consideration for both the Ohio State and the Louisville jobs, the other top openings this cycle. OSU decided to promote their interim coach, while Michigan reportedly beat out Louisville for May's services. It is reported that May has signed a five-year contract, as most coaches at Michigan do. We will have more on May in the coming days. 

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Comments

CaliforniaNobody

March 23rd, 2024 at 10:28 PM ^

He took FAU from laughingstock to respectability immediately, built a great team in 5 years and then kept them. at FAU. in 2023. I'm cautiously excited.

Also, Louisville fans and insiders are panicking, which is great.

Beat State!

Joined: 12/18/2014

MGoPoints: 14238

AC1997

March 23rd, 2024 at 10:38 PM ^

I guess we have to celebrate Warde now.  He handled this exactly like we wanted.  Fired Juwan quickly, got the #1 name on the market and out maneuvered Louisville in the process.  Also wrapped it up before the first weekend was over.  Master class.....

May is going to bring a jolt of fun and excitement into the program.  He isn't a slam dunk, but no one was.  Brian liked Medved, but he is a terrible recruiter and risky too.  May is an unknown recruiter, but clearly a developer of talent and keeping talent.  He was my top choice.  I am happy. 

Joined: 09/19/2008

MGoPoints: 13809

alum96

March 24th, 2024 at 12:55 AM ^

We tend to be an echo chamber here following the leader.  No one the fuck knows who Medved is in Columbus or East Lansing or West Lafayette.  Just like I doubt more than 10 people on this board new his name in January.

That doesn't mean he is a fine coach - these are all educated shots in the dark and who knows who will work out.  

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82513

Brodie

March 24th, 2024 at 4:08 AM ^

Yeah, I remember when Brian was really enamored with Bob Stitt and we'd get posts about hiring him as OC every year. Then he got a shot at an FCS blue blood and shit the bed so hard that he hasn't worked in football coaching for 5 years.

Joined: 11/19/2008

MGoPoints: 10712

rpm

March 23rd, 2024 at 11:10 PM ^

nice get….also interesting….represented by Kluth Sports…definitely/maybe gotta be a positive for recruiting in this day and age….right?

Joined: 11/23/2009

MGoPoints: 635

greymarch

March 23rd, 2024 at 11:11 PM ^

47 years old.  Enough experience UM needs.  Young enough to still have a driving passion to recruit and coach.

 

...does he realize UM's bball is a total rebuild?  UM will not make the tourney next year, nor the year after that.  UM in the tourney in 2027 is very realistic.  Will UM fans and alumni give Dusty to 2027 to make the Big Dance?  We shall see.

 

I think he's an excellent hire.  He was at the top of my list.  I just wonder if he knows the giant tire-fire he is about to be responsible for.

 

#GoBlue

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