These are five excellent choices that are actually doable for Michigan basketball’s requirements in search of a new head coach.
The Michigan basketball head coach position has been empty for less than a week, and it seems inevitable that a high-profile hire like Jay Wright or Billy Donovan will not take place.
Not even Shaka Smart of Marquette University and T.J. Otzelberger of Iowa State are good options. Smart is not going to be leaving Marquette, not after all that he has achieved. Otzelberger has made Michigan an offer to buy out for $18 million, which Michigan will not accept.
Though it’s great to think about potential additions, let’s concentrate on candidates that Michigan basketball could actually consider hiring. These are the top five prospects for the Wolverines who also have the most chance of succeeding.
Jerome Tang
This article’s last section will look at a few of the dark-horse candidates. Jerome Tang of Kansas State is starting to gain traction.
Although the Wildcats’ NIT loss on Tuesday night was upsetting, he led Kansas State to the Elite 8 the prior season in spite of significant change when he took over. That should give fans of Michigan basketball optimism. Despite his two years of head coaching experience, the Bears defense has changed since he left. He worked as a coach’s assistant at Baylor.
On the other hand, throughout the last two seasons, the defenses of the Wildcats have consistently been in the top 25. That and a man who won three games in his first NCAA tournament appearance seem excellent to me. Although I know some Michigan supporters don’t like Tang, I don’t belong to that group.
Amir Abdur-Rahman
The South Florida head coach is also attracting some interest, according to Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider. He only played for one season at South Florida, but in that season he led the Bulls to a conference regular-season championship.
Abdur-Rahim has a 70-81 career record, which includes his four seasons as Kennesaw State’s head coach, during which he led the Owls to the NCAA tournament. That season, he only managed one victory, but it still shows how far he can go. His brother was an NBA player, and he has experience as an assistant at Georgia and Texas A&M.
Remarks about Tarris Reed quitting basketball at Michigan to use the transfer portal
Though Michigan basketball might benefit from having Abdur-Rahim as a top recruiter, this seems unlikely if some other options don’t work out.
Darian DeVries
I’d want to see the Drake head coach receive greater backing. He spent six seasons as a player for Drake, winning 20 games or more each time. In his six seasons as head coach, the Bulldogs have five times won twenty-four games or more.
DeVries belongs to the coaching tree of Dana Altman as well. In a technical sense, he has guided the Bulldogs to three trips to the NCAA tournament. DeVries is the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year winner in addition to his two conference tournament victories and regular-season crown.
Not surprisingly, given how much time he spent at Creighton under Altman and Doug McDermott, DeVries is considered a superb tactician. His son, Tucker DeVries, is anticipated to follow his father, leading the Bulldogs in scoring with about 21 points per game.
All that scares me are the defensive numbers. According to Kenpom, Drake’s defense has only produced one top-50 result. However, DeVries feels he should be given more credit.
May in Dust
There has already been a lot of discussion around Dusty May. The head coach of Florida Atlantic has the Owls back in the NCAA tournament after guiding them to the Final Four the previous year.
I understand your need for a coach with more “proven” credentials than that. But I don’t believe that is possible. I’m not sure whether Michigan basketball can find a coach who meets the requirements to satisfy the rather irrational fans.
Michigan football will always be the best. The NIL of the Michigan basketball squad is questionable, and the admittance standards aren’t any better. Hunter Dickinson, Terrence Shannon, and Caleb Love could have all been Wolverines this season if NIL/admissions hadn’t been an issue. If such were the case, Michigan would be playing this weekend instead of hosting a match with a fired head coach.
As a result, we need a coach who is willing to develop. Even though he coaches at FAU, which isn’t a powerhouse and doesn’t have the NIL funding of a collegiate basketball power, May has focused on recruiting high school players and has been successful in keeping his team together after the team made it to the Final Four the previous season.
Niko Medved
Since the Michigan head coach search started, Niko Medved, the head coach at Colorado State, has been discussed. He is credited for drawing inspiration from John Beilein, and he has won 20 games or more in four of his prior five seasons with the Rams.
However, in 11 seasons, he has qualified for the NCAA tournament twice, and on Tuesday night, he triumphed over Virginia in his first game. After that win, Michigan basketball fans went crazy on social media. There’s also a lot of discussion indicating that Medved would take the job offer, should it come up.
Dusty May appears to be the front-runner. He would be an excellent addition, but Medved would be superior. He has three D-2 transfers on his roster. He may be the closest thing the Wolverines have to a John Beilein, even if he has only won one conference title. He has won at least 17 games at three different institutions.
