Mike Boynton Jr. Named Michigan Interim HC After Dusty May's Exit for Mavs Job

After the Dallas Mavericks hired Michigan's Dusty May as their new head coach on Monday, the Wolverines have officially tapped assistant Mike Boynton Jr. to take over on an interim basis.

"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," athletic director Warde Manuel said on Tuesday. "In just two seasons, Dusty restored Michigan Basketball to national prominence and led our Wolverines through one of the greatest chapters in program history, culminating in our first national championship in 37 years. His leadership, vision, and belief in our student-athletes helped create a culture of excellence that made the entire Michigan community proud."

Manuel added: "With summer workouts starting this week, Mike Boynton has been appointed head coach in an interim capacity. 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. His experience, character and commitment to our values make him the right person to guide the team during this transition."

Boynton joined May's staff at Michigan in 2024 and served as the team's defensive coordinator as it went on to win the national championship this past season. He previously served as head coach at Oklahoma State for seven seasons, leading the team to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021 and landing prized recruit Cade Cunningham, who was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft that year.

While Boynton is the school's immediate option to fill in, the Wolverines would still need a long-term replacement for May.

According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan headlines a lengthy list of head coaching candidates if Michigan conducts a wide-ranging search, also including Alabama's Nate Oats, Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger, Vanderbilt's Mark Byington, Texas Tech's Grant McCasland, Iowa's Ben McCollum and Saint Louis' Josh Schertz.

Borzello pointed out that Manuel has dealt with a similar situation in the past, as the Wolverines lost head football coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL after he led them to the 2023 national championship. In that instance, Manuel went with an internal option and promoted offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to head coach.

Manuel is going the same route this time, but Donovan would have been an impressive hire. Before making the jump to the NBA, he coached Florida to two national championships. Borzello noted that he "was considered a primary candidate at North Carolina," but "nothing transpired." The Wolverines could still pursue him as their long-term head coach.

Michigan is hoping to maintain its status as a national championship contender next season, so promoting Boynton in the interim could be the team's best option to continue building off the momentum May left behind.