Boynton Promoted to Defend Michigan Title as May Joins Mavericks

Mike Boynton has signed a two-year contract to lead Michigan’s men’s basketball team. The deal was finalized after Dusty May left the program to coach the Dallas Mavericks following the Wolverines’ national championship season. Michigan initially named Boynton interim head coach before locking him in for the long term. This move anchors a busy offseason coaching carousel that saw major changes across the Big Ten and beyond.

Boynton enters the role with a 119-109 career record from his seven seasons at Oklahoma State. He coached the Cowboys to one NCAA Tournament appearance but was dismissed after the 2023-24 campaign ended with a 12-20 record. Since then, he spent two seasons as an assistant on May’s staff at Michigan. Boynton views this period as a valuable learning experience that refined his coaching philosophy. He described the last two years as a sabbatical where he learned to identify player strengths and delegate responsibilities effectively.

“The last two years have been sort of like a sabbatical for me,” Boynton told reporters during Big Ten media days. He noted that he spent his days observing May manage a high-functioning organization and allowing players to excel in specific roles. Boynton said this exposure to May’s methods has made him a better coach and prepared him for the head coaching position.

Michigan’s transition was the most prominent move in the college basketball coaching market. Other programs also made notable hires to replace departing or fired coaches. Kansas State hired Casey Alexander to replace Jerome Tang, who was fired after three seasons. Alexander has a career record of 303-180 from stints at Stetson, Lipscomb, and Belmont.

LSU brought back Will Wade for a second stint after the school fired him in 2022 over recruiting violations. Wade had previously led McNeese and North Carolina State to NCAA Tournament appearances. North Carolina State hired Justin Gainey, a former Wolfpack captain, to replace Wade. Gainey most recently served on Rick Barnes’ staff at Tennessee.

North Carolina made an unconventional choice by hiring Michael Malone, who had no prior ties to the program or college head coaching experience. Malone won an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 and replaced Hubert Davis. Syracuse hired Gerry McNamara, a former player who holds school records for three-pointers and minutes, to lead the program after firing Adrian Autry.

On the women’s side, Pauline Love returned to Alabama as head coach after serving as an assistant for Kristy Curry. Tammi Reiss moved to a new program after spending seven years at Rhode Island. Ayla Guzzardo, who led McNeese to a school-record 29 wins, was hired by Georgia to replace Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. These moves reflect widespread turnover in both men’s and women’s college basketball.