Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May has been hired as the new men’s basketball coach at Michigan, the latter school announced on Sunday morning.
May agreed to a five-year contract with an average value of $3.75 million annually.
School president Santa Ono effectively confirmed the news over social media on Saturday night.
“I am thrilled to welcome Dusty May to the University of Michigan as our new head basketball coach,” Ono wrote.
May, 47, replaces Juwan Howard, who was fired on March 15 after five seasons with the Wolverines.
Michigan limped to an 8-24 overall record, marking the school’s worst percentage (.250) since 1960-61 and the most losses in program history. The Wolverines dropped their ninth straight decision with a 66-57 setback to Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten conference tournament.
May’s mission is to get Michigan back on track.
“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 in a statement. “This is a dream come true for me, my wife Anna, and my boys Jack, Charlie and Eli.
“… 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.”
May won 60 games the past two seasons at FAU, leading the Owls to the Final Four in 2023. FAU lost in the first round of this year’s tournament as a No. 8 seed to Northwestern.
Overall, May went 126-69 in six seasons at FAU. His .822 winning percentage the past two years was the fifth best in Division I, according to ESPN.
“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.
“… 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.”
–Field Level Media
