The Florida Atlantic basketball team bowed out in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, but not before securing a winning record and offering up plenty of thrills to their fans. The Owls made the Final Four last season, cementing their status as one of the top mid-major programs in the NCAA, and now former Coach Dusty May is officially the leader of the Michigan Wolverines' basketball squad.
The gaping hole left in the wake of May's exit has given way to a quick and fruitful coaching search, as Florida Atlantic basketball announced the hiring of its new Head Coach John Jakus on Wednesday.
Jakus previously served as the associate coach of the Baylor Bears and will now take over in eastern Florida, the current home region of the well known public university's basketball team. He will be tasked with building on what May did while living up to the Final Four level expectations he set last season.
Task number one for Jakus will be improving the Owls' interior defense, a weakness pointed out by May prior to the team's NCAA loss. May's hiring by the Michigan basketball program was preceded by the possibility of hiring former Coach John Beilein, who assisted in the hiring process.
Now that the dust has settled, the hope for Florida Atlantic fans is that Jakus can pick up where May left off.
John Jakus' Coaching History, Revealed
The news was shared by college basketball reporter Jeff Borzello.
NEWS: Florida Atlantic is hiring Baylor assistant John Jakus as its next head coach, sources told ESPN.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 28, 2024
Jakus worked at Baylor for seven seasons including in 2021, when the Bears won the national championship with a 16-point win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Jakus helped coach memorable Bears players including 2021 NCAA Tournament MVP Jared Butler and recent first round picks Davion Mitchell, Jeremy Sochan and Keyonte George.
He also spent time with Gonzaga as the program's Director of Operations under Coach Mark Few before helping to defeat his former employer in the championship game. He helped lead the Bears to a 143-53 record in six seasons as an assistant coach, including a 71-33 record in Big 12 play.
He's also served as the head coach for Athletes in Action, a Christian basketball-focused organization with the stated mission of helping people to improve their spiritual growth. Now, Florida Atlantic basketball is expected to be his home for the foreseeable future.
Jakus to Take Over as Florida Atlantic Basketball Coach
Task number one for Jakus as Florida Atlantic basketball coach will be to keep as many of May's players in Florida as possible. Fans and reporters alike have pondered as to whether May will raid Florida Atlantic's current roster for new additions to the Michigan basketball roster. Jakus will also need to assemble a staff quickly in hopes of keeping his top players home.
The recruiting trail also beckons, a place where May was successful at finding hidden gems for many years.
Michigan basketball has already been informed by top players Dug McDaniel and Tarris Reed that they intend to leave Ann Arbor, among others.
Florida Atlantic is expected to be a tournament caliber team for the foreseeable future, but as former Michigan head coach Juwan Howard (now unemployed) knows as well as anyone, fortunes can change quickly on the fast-paced, competitive college basketball landscape. Jakus must keep at least part of his roster intact if he hopes to continue the Owls' success this coming season and beyond.
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