The Michigan basketball team recently parted ways with Juwan Howard after he spent five seasons with the Wolverines. Howard had a lot of success during his early years, but this past season was one of the worst in the history of the Michigan program. Now, the Wolverines have moved on to Dusty May, and he was officially introduced as the head coach on Tuesday.
“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,” Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel said, according to a release from the university. “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. With his ties to the Midwest, Dusty has a deep understanding of our community, recruiting landscape and basketball tradition. I am thrilled to bring in a coach who has a demonstrated ability to develop talent and build successful programs. I believe Dusty will be an exceptional leader for our student-athletes and a tremendous asset to our basketball program and university.”
May had built something special at FAU, but he is excited about the next step in his career with Michigan basketball.
“The University of Michigan is among the elite institutions in the world and it is both an honor and privilege to be named its head men's basketball coach,” May said. “This is a dream come true for me, my wife Anna, and my boys Jack, Charlie and Eli. I want to offer my thanks to President Santa Ono, Athletics Director Warde Manuel and the U-M Board of Regents for this opportunity. None of this would be possible, however, without the tremendous people at Florida Atlantic University. They embraced and supported me, as well as my family, from the minute I walked on campus. I can't thank my players, my staff, the administration and the entire Boca Raton community enough. We made memories at FAU that will last a lifetime. This was an incredibly difficult decision, however, I am deeply committed to reigniting the proud tradition of Michigan Basketball. I can't wait to get started.”
Dusty May has big goals for Michigan
After Dusty May and Florida Atlantic lost in this year's NCAA Tournament, there were unconfirmed reports that he was going to be taking the head coaching job at Louisville. However, Michigan basketball was able to sway him away at the last minute, and he is now focused on bringing big things to Ann Arbor.
“Our goal is to be enjoyable to watch,” May said, according to an article from CBS Sports. “We want to win championships, but we also want to put fans in the seats and be easy on the eyes.”
May has a lot of coaching experience and he has even coached very close to this area as he was an assistant at Eastern Michigan (15 minutes away from the University of Michigan) back in 2005-06. He knows what works, and he has a plan for the Wolverines already.
“If we're not at least jogging or moving at a solid pace, the guys will hear from me,” May continued. “It needs to be free flowing; we don't want the defense to ever get set. We shoot probably too many 3s. We finish at the rim. We play modern basketball, we do use analytics, we use the metrics, but we try to find the best way for us to play and it usually is centered around what do your best players do well.”
At the end of the day, Michigan is where May wanted to coach. The Wolverines got their guy.
“This was a place that I wanted to be,” May added. “This was the right fit for me, my family. And it just felt right and I'm a big feel guy. I'm a big fit guy. And from Day 1, this was one that I just thought would match me and allow me and those around me to have the highest level of success doing it the way that we enjoy doing.”
A new era of Michigan basketball is here. The past couple of seasons weren't fun for Wolverines fans, and not having success in the postseason isn't something that they were used to. Now, there is a new hope among the fan base.
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