The Michigan Wolverines didn’t wait long to replace former head coach Juwan Howard, announcing over the weekend that the school had come to terms with Dusty May on a 5 year deal.
May, who previously helped guide FAU to the Final Four at last year’s NCAA tournament, has won 60 games over the previous two seasons. A mark that only UConn and Houston have also accomplished during that same time period.
Since joining FAU six years ago, the Owls have accumulated a 126-69 record, and have yet to have a losing season during May’s tenure.
The Owls lost in overtime to Northwestern on Friday to end their March Madness run earlier than expected, and Michigan wasted no time in securing the 47 year old’s services.
“With his ties to the Midwest, Dusty has a deep understanding of our community, recruiting landscape ad basketball tradition,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “I am thrilled to bring in a coach who has a demonstrated ability to develop talent and build successful programs. I believe Dusty will be an exceptional leader for our student-athletes and a tremendous asset to our basketball program and university.”
“The University of Michigan is among the elite institutions in the world and it is both an honor and privilege to be named its head men’s basketball coach,” May said in a statement of his own. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, however, I am deeply committed to reigniting the proud tradition of Michigan Basketball. I can’t wait to get started.”
May’s new contract will run through the 2028-29 season, and will see the newly minted head coach earn $3.75M annually.
According to reports, Michigan wasn’t the only school interested in securing May’s services once his tournament run was over. Louisville and Vanderbilt were both rumoured to have reached out to May’s camp regarding a possible hire.
A former Indiana University graduate, May has had coaching stops as an assistant at IU, USC, Eastern Michigan, Murray State, UAB, Louisiana Tech and Florida throughout his time on the sidelines. He now inherits a program coming off a last place finish in the Big 10 for the first time since the 1966-67 campaign.
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