Dusty May is the clear winner when it comes to head coaching prospects for Michigan basketball.
The status of the Michigan basketball program and the choice of the team’s next head coach are hot topics of discussion on social media.
Some people wish for the Wolverines to challenge John Calipari or Jay Wright. Some have more modest tastes and would have preferred someone like Shaka Smart or Fred Hoiberg, both of whom have signed extensions.
Still, it’s difficult to watch Smart abandon the work he’s done at Marquette. Simply put, the buyouts of other appealing head coaches are too rich for Michigan’s blood. However, Dusty May of Florida Atlantic is one option who makes great sense and wouldn’t need to pay a big buyout.
Dusty May is ideal for basketball at Michigan.
He appears poised to make the jump to the Power 5 after leading the Owls to the Final Four the previous season. Prior to the Buckeyes full-time hiring of their interim head coach, Ohio State was a contender. Although Chris Balas of the Wolverines says that May is either the team’s top pick or perhaps the favorite to become the new head coach of Michigan basketball, Louisville is still a team to keep an eye on.
However, that does not guarantee that it will. Louisville has superior NIL resources and is an ACC member. Admissions won’t be a barrier for them either, unlike what Michigan basketball has experienced.
Nonetheless, Dusty May should be desired by supporters for the same reasons that make playing basketball at Michigan less appealing. He is an advocate of high school recruitment. He developed high school signees who are currently among his top players. He hasn’t taken many transfers, and in 2023 he didn’t take any.
Michigan must once more make an investment in high school recruiting. It must also avoid the five-star performers. They don’t really help you in college unless they are top-5 picks, and the Wolverines aren’t in a position to acquire those kinds of players given their NIL status. Hire in the same manner as John Beilein. Players should be developed, retained, and coached to play championship basketball.
May is an analytics believer. In addition to winning 60 games in the previous two seasons, he led a team that didn’t have a single recruit ranked in the top 100 to the Final Four. Under May, FAU had never had a losing record, and that trend has only gotten better. That’s what basketball at Michigan needs.
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The Wolverines require a coach that can recognize talent, help it grow, retain it, and maximize its potential on the court. May would be the perfect hire since he matches that description exactly. If he is the frontrunner, I hope U-M can find a way to bring him on board.
