With the NCAA Tournament alive and well, now is a great time to be a college basketball fan. Depending on who you ask in Tar Heel Nation, the future in Chapel Hill is also bright.
North Carolina made the tough decision to fire Hubert Davis on Tuesday, bringing his 5-year run as head coach to a screeching halt. Davis led the Tar Heels to a surprise appearance in the 2022 NCAA Championship Game, plus a Sweet 16 appearance in 2024, but lack of postseason success overshadowed those two outliers.
UNC is now tasked with finding its next head coach – just the sixth since 1961. North Carolina needs to look outside the “Carolina Family” – and there are plenty of options.
One name the Tar Heels should seriously consider is Michigan head coach Dusty May, whose team is facing Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
Hired to replace Juwan Howard after one of the worst seasons in program history, May has the Wolverines right back amongst college basketball’s elite. Michigan is playing Sweet 16 basketball for the second-straight year – and has a strong chance to reach its first Elite Eight since 2021.
May initially rose to prominence as Florida Atlantic’s head coach, leading the Owls to their first Final Four appearance in 2023. FAU found itself right back in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, making consecutive Big Dance appearances for the first time in school history – and May became a hot ticket for Power Four programs.
As UNC prepares to hire its next head coach, let’s take a deeper dive into the Wolverines’ boss.
Dusty May’s prior experience
May started out as an Eastern Michigan assistant coach in the 2005-06 season, followed by assistant gigs at Murray State (06-07), UAB (07-09), Louisiana Tech (09-15) and Florida (15-18).
May landed the FAU job in 2018, coaching the Owls until 2024. Michigan hired May in March 2024 – and he’s now coaching his second season for the Wolverines.
He’s compiled a record of 186-82 overall in his coaching career and an 8-3 record in the NCAA Tournament. He took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four just a few years ago and has Michigan as a No. 1 seed this year after winning the Big Ten regular season.
Why he’s a good fit
May is a successful, high-energy guy who knows how to win at all levels. That was proven by his run at Florida Atlantic to the Final Four and then heading to Michigan to find success right away. He’s coached at a few different levels both as a head coach and an assistant.
Being able to learn that much should help.
If not for a buzzer-beater in the 2023 Final Four, May has a National Championship appearance under his belt. Right now, May has his team in the NCAA Tournament for a fourth-straight season.
UNC loses senior captain Seth Trimble to graduation this offseason, Caleb Wilson likely heads to the NBA Draft, while Henri Veesaar is mocked just outside the first round. Dusty May can recruit – landing the second-ranked transfer portal class in 2025, plus 10th-ranked class in 2024.
Why he’s a bad fit
Maybe this is the excitement talking, but May is not a bad fit. The only possible answer to this question is May wants to stay at Michigan – and previously stated he loves Ann Arbor.
If North Carolina hires May, whom the Wolverines extended in February, his buyout is $7.5 million. May’s loyalty to Michigan is good for the folks in Ann Arbor, but it may discourage the Tar Heels from further pursuing him.
Michigan’s NIL support also works against UNC, which already has plenty of NIL money tied up in Bill Belichick and the football program. The Wolverines’s men’s basketball program is currently in a better spot than North Carolina’s – and May has to get a life-changing offer to leave.
Chances he’s the guy
On a scale on 1-10, the likelihood of May coming to Chapel Hill is a five. May is building something special at Michigan, which is now a college basketball power after years of mediocrity under Juwan Howard.
May attended Indiana, but is not interested in potentially coaching for his alma mater, another good sign for his chances at UNC.
Dusty May on potential interest in the Indiana opening:
“That stuff’s crazy. I love being at Michigan. I love our team. (Indiana) is my foundation, but I’m very very happy at the University of Michigan”
pic.twitter.com/Uc9fztcRmG— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 8, 2025
There’s obviously no confirmation yet that May is the guy, but him turning down his alma mater is a big win for interested schools like UNC.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Head coach candidate profile for Michigan’s Dusty May