Michigan has committed to Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May as the basketball program’s coach for the foreseeable future. Now we have an idea of what exactly that commitment looks like.
May on Saturday night was reportedly named successor to departing head coach Juwan Howard, who leaves his alma mater’s coaching staff after a relatively unsuccessful five-year run.
Michigan officially announced May’s hiring on Sunday. The team shared on its official athletics website that May’s contract is a five-year deal. May will receive an average annual salary of $3.75 million. While no further details were given, the deal likely includes bonuses depending on certain performance metrics.
Dusty May’s five-year deal averages $3.75M a year, Michigan says in release. https://t.co/RyBCqCB8ei
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 24, 2024
Michigan Is Putting Its Faith In Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May
Michigan director Warde Manuel gave a statement on May, keying in on May’s track record over the past half decade with Florida Atlantic’s program.
“For almost two decades Dusty May’s proven track record as a winner, including Florida Atlantic’s magical run to a 2023 Final Four, speaks volumes about him and his coaching,” said Manuel. “We are so delighted to welcome Dusty, and his family, to the University of Michigan. He embodies the values of high integrity and outstanding character, coupled with an unparalleled understanding of the game of basketball.”
May spent six seasons atop Florida Atlantic’s coaching staff. He got on the national radar during the 2022-23 season after leading Florida Atlantic to a 35-4 record and a a Final Four run. The school had only one NCAA Tournament appearance and zero wins prior to last year’s Cinderella run.
We are proud to announce that Dusty May has been named the David and Meredith Kaplan Men's Basketball Head Coach, becoming the 18th coach in the history of the program
Release | https://t.co/nb2DVEBdVB#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/czxCuUzXUx
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) March 24, 2024
The Owls, who had a 25-9 record, made another NCAA Tournament appearance this season and even earned themselves a top-8 seed. They were upset 77-65 by Northwestern in the first round.
May arrived at Boca Raton in 2018 with the school reeling from seven consecutive losing seasons. The Owls never had a losing record in all six years with May at the helm.
Michigan Basketball Will Look To Put The Juwan Howard Era Behind Them
May replaces Howard after one of the worst Michigan basketball seasons over the last 50 years. The Wolverines went a stunning 8-24, which also marked the school’s first losing season in 14 years and the team’s lowest win total since 1981-82.
Howard lost Michigan’s leading scorer and projected NBA prospect Hunter Dickinson to Kansas after the team missed the NCAA Tournament last season. The Wolverines started the season a middling 6-5 before completely falling off a cliff with two wins over its last 21 games.
