Michigan Makes Mike Boynton Permanent Head Coach
The former Oklahoma State coach replaces Dusty May, who departed for the NBA after leading the Wolverines to a national title.
By Vikram Harrison ·
The college basketball coaching market has turned over rapidly, with several major programs replacing their head coaches. Michigan has confirmed the hiring of Mike Boynton to lead the national champion Wolverines. The move follows the departure of Dusty May, who left the program to become the head coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Michigan initially appointed Boynton as interim head coach before formalizing a two-year contract.
Boynton brings seven seasons of head coaching experience from Oklahoma State, where he compiled a 119-109 record and secured one NCAA Tournament berth. He was dismissed after the 2023-24 season, which ended with a 12-20 record. He subsequently served as an assistant coach on May’s staff for the last two seasons, working closely with the coach who led Michigan to the NCAA Tournament title.
Boynton described his time as an assistant as a period of professional growth. He told reporters during Big Ten media days that the past two years felt like a sabbatical. He cited learning how to run a high-functioning corporation and identify specific qualities in players as key takeaways. He also mentioned the importance of delegating responsibilities and showing up consistently to be even.
The Michigan transition is one of several notable shifts in the college basketball landscape. Jerome Tang, who was fired from Kansas State after a 45-47 record over three seasons, was replaced by Casey Alexander. Alexander owns a 303-180 career record and previously coached at Stetson, Lipscomb, and Belmont. Will Wade returned to LSU for a second stint after a brief period at N.C. State and McNeese.
North Carolina hired Michael Malone, an NBA coach with a 510-394 record, to replace Hubert Davis. Malone has no prior college head coaching experience. Syracuse named Gerry McNamara, who holds the school’s career records for 3-point baskets and minutes played, to replace Adrian Autry. McNamara previously led Siena to an NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
Changes also occurred on the women’s side of the sport. Pauline Love returned to Alabama after serving as an assistant coach there in the 2024-25 season. Tammi Reiss joined the program after a seven-year tenure at Rhode Island, where she posted a 138-73 record. Carla Berube moved from Princeton to Northwestern, replacing Joe McKeown, who retired after 18 seasons. Aaron Rousell took over at Virginia after leading Richmond to three straight NCAA Tournament berths.
The coaching carousel also saw adjustments at Georgetown, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. These moves reflect a widespread turnover in college basketball leadership, with programs seeking new direction after inconsistent results or staff changes.
