Boynton Signs Two-Year Deal to Lead Michigan After May's NBA Exit

Mike Boynton has signed a two-year contract to become the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. The hiring follows the departure of Dusty May, who left the program to lead the NBA's Dallas Mavericks after Michigan's championship season. The university initially named Boynton as interim head coach before formalizing the long-term agreement.

Boynton spent the previous two seasons as an assistant on May's staff. Prior to joining Michigan, he coached Oklahoma State for seven years. His tenure in Stillwater produced a 119-109 overall record and one NCAA Tournament appearance. The program dismissed him following a 12-20 finish in the 2023-24 season.

The move places Boynton in charge of a team defending the national title. He described his time working under May as a learning period. "The last two years have been sort of like a sabbatical for me," Boynton said during Big Ten media days. He noted that observing May's management style taught him how to run a high-functioning organization and identify specific qualities in players.

Boynton's appointment anchors a busy offseason in college basketball coaching. Several other high-profile programs changed leadership this fall. Kansas State fired Jerome Tang after three difficult seasons. Casey Alexander now leads the Wildcats. Alexander holds a 303-180 career record from his previous stops at Stetson, Lipscomb, and Belmont.

Will Wade returned to LSU for a second stint. The university had previously fired him in 2022 over recruiting violations. Matt McMahon served as interim head coach but was let go after four seasons. Wade posted a 105-51 record during his first tenure in Baton Rouge, which included three NCAA Tournament bids.

North Carolina made an unconventional choice by hiring Michael Malone. Malone had no prior ties to the Tar Heels and no college head coaching experience. He goes 510-394 as an NBA coach and won a title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. He replaces Hubert Davis, who guided North Carolina to the 2022 national championship game.

Other notable changes include Gerry McNamara returning to Syracuse. He led Siena to an NCAA Tournament berth last season. On the women's side, Pauline Love returns to Alabama as head coach. She previously served as an assistant there in 2024-25. Tammi Reiss joined the program after a seven-year run at Rhode Island.

Justin Gainey takes over at North Carolina State. He is a first-time head coach and most recently worked on Rick Barnes' staff at Tennessee. The coaching shifts reflect a market where stability is rare and high-profile programs often turn over their leadership within a few years.