Michigan on Tuesday officially promoted Mike Boynton Jr. to interim head coach following Dusty May’s departure Monday to become the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
Boynton, 44, previously served as Oklahoma State’s head coach from 2017 to 2024, going 119-109 in seven seasons with the Cowboys.
“While we are disappointed to see Dusty leave Michigan, we are deeply grateful to the May family for the lasting impact they have made on our program and our university,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement, in part. “Mike has been an invaluable member of our staff and a respected leader throughout his career. He knows what Michigan Basketball represents and has earned the trust and respect of our student-athletes and everyone in our program.”
Promoting Boynton — who served as May’s defensive coordinator the past two seasons — seemed like the most likely route for the Wolverines in the wake of May’s summer departure, especially as the program attempts to retain its top players. Per NCAA rules, when a head-coaching change occurs, players have 15 days to enter the transfer portal, with the window opening five days after a new coach is announced. Boynton’s familiarity with the team could help Michigan stave off would-be poachers, and ensure next season’s roster has the best chance possible to go for a second consecutive national championship.
Michigan is set to return Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau and fellow backcourt Trey McKenney, while welcoming incoming five-star freshman guard Brandon McCoy Jr. and two top-25 frontcourt transfers in Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) and J.P. Estrella (Tennessee). While Michigan lost its frontcourt from this season’s national championship team — Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg are all expected to be first-round NBA Draft picks — the Wolverines still came in at No. 5 nationally in The Athletic’s latest offseason top 25.
That’s a tremendous infrastructure for Boynton, a well-respected and liked assistant in Ann Arbor.
Michigan had college basketball’s No. 1 defense last season, and Oklahoma State finished top-20 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency three times in Boynton’s seven seasons in charge, per KenPom. So while Michigan under May was known for its offensive creativity — namely, May’s willingness to play multiple bigs together, even on the perimeter — it’s fair to expect defense to be the Wolverines’ calling card under Boynton.
Boynton’s long-term fit at Michigan, should he earn the permanent job, is also fascinating. Considering Boynton’s strong recruiting chops at Oklahoma State — highlighted by landing No. 1 prospect and current Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham in the 2020 class — it’s fair to expect that he could continue the Wolverines’ strong high school and transfer portal efforts.
But earning that opportunity will first mean successfully hanging onto as many of Michigan’s current players as possible, not to mention positioning the program for another Final Four run next season. Boynton only made one NCAA Tournament in seven seasons in Stillwater and did not advance to the second weekend despite having an All-American talent like Cunningham in the 2021 tournament.
Overall, though, Boynton’s experience coaching future NBA talent — and his familiarity with Michigan’s current roster — made him the obvious choice to replace May at this point in the calendar.
