Dusty May replacements: Ranking Michigan's best candidates after coach leaves for Mavericks originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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?
MORE: Why the Dallas Mavericks hired Dusty May away from Michigan
Why did Dusty May leave Michigan?
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.
MORE: Where could Michigan's stars be selected in the upcoming NBA Draft?
Leading candidates
Mike Boynton Jr., Michigan assistant coach
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.
MORE: Which NBA draft prospects are most likely to bust?
Other names to watch …
Ben McCollum, Iowa coach
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.