Dusty May’s departure for the NBA has added pre-draft fireworks at both levels. The now former Michigan Wolverines head coach puts life back in Dallas and leaves Ann Arbor on a high note.
Just months after leading Michigan to a NCAA championship win his second season, May will be tough to replace. Who could maintain the level of success for one of the Big Ten’s most coveted jobs? The program is reportedly working to retain Mike Boynton Jr. as the interim coach. He's the best candidate for Michigan may be the one athletic director Warde Manuel is most familiar with.
Here are three things to know about Michigan's possible next full-time head coach.
Defense is Boynton's main focus
When May hired Boynton as an associate coach two years ago, the position came with a defensive coordinator tag. He has played a key role in building Michigan into a top-tier team, and its 2026 dominance is a perfect example of when a plan comes together with the right talent on the floor. Boynton will continue to push his philosophy as the interim head coach and should be considered for the full-time role.
Boynton's track record is solid
One of the biggest current NBA stars Boynton helped during the course of his career was Cade Cunningham. Before heading to Detroit, the No. 1 overall pick from Oklahoma State was a student of the game, with Boynton leading the way. He served as head coach at OSU from 2017 to 2024.
What he was able to do for the Cowboys would be nothing compared to what's possible at Michigan. A much bigger opportunity with real resources. Boynton led the Cowboys to a 119-109 record, including a trip to the 2021 NCAA Tournament and two NIT quarterfinal appearances in 2018 and 2023. He had three 20-win seasons during his time in Stillwater.
Keeping Boynton will stop a mass exodus in the transfer portal
The Wolverines are viewed as a preseason top-five team. Even after losing four starters, Elliot Cadeau returns at point guard to lead some talented transfers. Cincinnati’s Moustapha Thiam and Tennessee’s J.P. Estrella came to Ann Arbor as top-10 players in hopes of chasing championship dreams. Outside the portal, five-star guard Brandon McCoy signed with the Wolverines and is expected to be a one-and-done talent.
With two decades of collegiate coaching experience, Boynton can hit the ground running and knows the landscape as a primary recruiter. There won't be a monumental shift from May leaving if Boynton is allowed to run the program. He'll also work to keep the roster intact as players decide to stay or go.
Michigan coach Dusty May is finalizing a deal to become the next coach of the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN.com.
The announcement comes as a shock considering May led Michigan to the 2025-26 men's basketball national championship – the program's first national title since 1988-89. The Wolverines had a 64-13 record under May the last two seasons, and Michigan averaged 87.3 points per game.
May, however, left for the NBA and will have a chance to coach Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Michigan, meanwhile, will have its third different coach in four seasons. Who will take over in Ann Arbor?
May dismissed interest in other major college openings through Michigan's Final Four run last season, and he is the second Michigan coach to leave for the NBA in the last decade. John Beilein, who led the Wolverines to a pair of national championship game appearances in 2013 and 2018, took the job with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019. Beilein had a 14-40 record before being replaced before the end of the season.
May, however, feels like a different hire. He's 49 years old, runs an up-tempo offense and showed a knack for talent evaluation in the transfer portal era with the Wolverines. Billy Donovan was 50 years old when he made the move from Florida, where he won two national championships, to the NBA. This feels like a similar move for May, who finished with a 26-56 record last season and will have the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Michigan coaching candidates
Will the Michigan opening lead to another few turns on the coaching carousel? It is an elite job in the current college basketball landscape. The Wolverines have advanced to the Sweet 16 or better in seven of the last 10 seasons. Here are a few potential candidates for the job.
Boynton, 44, would make sense as an interim coach and should get consideration for the full-time job. He was the Wolverines' defensive coordinator under May the last three seasons. Boynton coached at Oklahoma State for seven seasons, where he recruited Pistons star Cade Cunningham. The Cowboys, however, made just one NCAA tournament appearance.
Josh Schertz, St. Louis coach
Schertz, 50, is 103-41 over the last four seasons through stints at Indiana State and Saint Louis. Michigan routed the Billikens 95-72 in the NCAA tournament this season, but the teams' styles of play were not that different. Saint Louis ranked 10th in the nation with 87.2 points per game, while Indiana State ranked seventh at 84.8 points per game in 2023-24. This hire makes sense for Michigan.
Phil Martelli Jr., VCU coach
Michigan took a risk by hiring May from FAU. Would Martelli, 44, represent a similar calculated risk that could pay off? Martelli led the Rams to a 28-8 record in his first season and has made a rapid rise after previously coaching at Bryant. He's the son of former Michigan assistant Phil Martelli, who was well received during his time in Ann Arbor. This could be the perfect long-term hire for the Wolverines, even if Martelli Jr. doesn't have an extensive track record as a head coach.
Jai Lucas, Miami Hurricanes coach
Lucas, 37, was an assistant coach at Texas, Kentucky and Duke – all major programs with huge budgets and expectations. He is the son of former NBA coach John Lucas II, and the Hurricanes had a 26-9 record in his first season. Like Martelli Jr., it's a limited sample size, but Lucas might be willing to listen.
Grant McCasland, Texas Tech coach
McCasland, 49, could be swayed to leave his position with the Red Raiders. Texas Tech is 74-31 with three straight NCAA tournament appearances since McCasland took over, and this season might have been different had JT Toppin not suffered a season-ending injury during the regular season. McCasland also had a successful run at North Texas. He's won at every stop, but it might be difficult to lure him away from his home state.
McCollum, 44, is another up-and-coming coach in the Big Ten. He won four Division II national championships at Northwest Missouri State before taking the Iowa job. He led the Hawkeyes to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999. Like McCasland, it will be difficult to pull McCollum away from his home state – but it's worth monitoring.
Nate Oats, Alabama coach
Oats, 51, was a high-school coach at Romulus High School near Detroit before making the move to the college ranks. He's frequently mentioned as a potential successor for Tom Izzo at Michigan State. Would Michigan be willing to undercut the move?
Mark Byington, Vanderbilt coach
Byington, 50, was not considered for some major openings this offseason despite an impressive resume between James Madison and Vanderbilt. The Commodores are 47-22 the last two seasons, and he's another candidate who would be a steal for Michigan at this point.
Ryan Odom, Virginia coach
Odom, 51, is 58-13 the last two seasons between VCU and Virginia – and he has taken four different schools to the NCAA Tournament in the last nine seasons. Odom feels more like a long-term ACC coach, but the allure of coaching at a perennial Big Ten power could be a pull.
Kevin Willard, Villanova coach
Willard, 51, is one of the more experienced coaches on this list. He coached three seasons in the Big Ten at Maryland before leaving for Villanova. Willard recruits well and would be more of a safe fall-back option who might show interest.
Along with a 14-year career in the NBA, many basketball fans are most familiar with Kendrick Perkins for frequently appearing on the "First Take" and "NBA Today" shows on ESPN. Now, the basketball veteran will imminently start as the Jackson State general manager for the men's basketball program.
Perkins was likely hired since he has a recognizable name that many fans and recruits would know, so he will likely grow the recruiting power for the Tigers.
While he will have a new career as general manager, he will reportedly still be able to hold his position on ESPN.
Here's why the ESPN basketball analyst was hired as a general manager for Jackson State.
Why Jackson State is hiring Kendrick Perkins as general manager
On Friday, Shams Charania reported that Perkins would be moving to Jackson State to become the men's basketball program's general manager. After a long career in the NBA and working on ESPN as a TV personality, Perkins will add another aspect of the basketball world to his resume.
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins – 14-year NBA veteran and 2008 champion – has agreed to become the men's basketball General Manager of HBCU Jackson State, as well as a connection to its broadcast and journalism program, per Perkins: "I'm thankful for this opportunity to impact… pic.twitter.com/lTHV4tSn3a
The new front office position with the Tigers is not expected to affect his current role at ESPN, so expect a continuation of Perkins' personality on the screen. The notability of Perkins' name may also be utilized for recruiting to the school, which is another reason why the former center may have been hired.
In college basketball, general managers are usually in charge of recruiting and building a roster ahead of each season. In recent years, the position has often been given to a school's notable basketball alumni to try and grow recruiting numbers (Stephen Curry at Davidson, Damian Lillard at Weber State).
When Lillard was hired at Weber State, it was expected that the Portland Trail Blazer would "work closely with the coaching staff and athletic department leadership to provide insight, mentorship and guidance, using his experience at the collegiate and professional levels to elevate the program," per Deseret News.
Is Kendrick Perkins leaving ESPN?
No, at the moment, it does not appear that Perkins will be leaving his post as a basketball analyst for ESPN. According to Charania, Perkins will keep his current position at ESPN, along with working as the general manager for the general manager of the men's basketball program.
Perkins adds the new GM role to his ESPN position and becomes the latest retired or active NBA player to take an administrative position in college basketball, joining most recently John Wall (HBCU Howard), Stephen Curry (Davidson), Trae Young (Oklahoma) and others.
Jackson State finished with a 12-21 record after the 2025-26 season, according to ESPN. Four of the Tigers' opening six losses in a row came from ranked opponents (No. 17 Illinois, No. 11 Louisville, No. 22 Auburn, and No. 21 Arkansas).
Jackson State also had the misfortune of sharing the court with No. 7 Houston, a game that resulted in an 80-38 blowout.
Former Iona player Adam Njie Jr. has officially been ruled ineligible by the NCAA for his alleged point shaving in 2024.
According to the NCAA, Njie shared critical information with bettors regarding two games he was playing in December 2024, during his freshman year at Iona. One of those games resulted in a bettor amassed $15,500 in bets against Rice that was ultimately lost, causing serious problems for Njie.
One bettor threatened Njie as he felt he was cheated out of his winnings. There were plans to fix the next game against Sacred Heart, but Njie denies going through with either one. The NCAA says Njie cooperated with the investigation and "maintained that he did not manipulate his performance."
Njie transferred from Iona to Dayton in 2025 but was held out of games last season.
This comes after numerous players in the NBA, as well as college basketball, were under fire for possible betting inaccuracies that led to legal action. Over 39 players from 17 Division I basketball teams were implicated. Players such as Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart and Camiaian Shell were either suspended or removed from team activities while the investigation ensued. In 2025, former NBA players like Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were caught in their own gambling scandal that included sports betting and fixed poker games.
The outcome for these players is unfortunate, but organizations are cracking down on this behavior that could leave a stain on the entire world of basketball. It is yet to be seen what the next move will be for Njie as he faces uncharted waters.
The bettors involved in the Njie case were among six men who were described as "fixers" by the Department of Justice in a sweeping indictment released Jan. 15, according to the NCAA.
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