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Dusty May has been appointed as the new head coach of the University of Michigan's basketball team, replacing Juwan Howard. May has been described as a program builder and has a clear vision for his team and roster. He has already reached out to players in the transfer portal and secured his first big win as the new head coach by getting Durral Brooks, ranked No. 194 overall, to reaffirm his commitment to the Wolverines. May has outlined his goals for the team, stating that they want to win championships and put fans in the seats.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Dusty May |
| Coach's Previous Role | Florida Atlantic Head Coach |
| Coach's Contract Length | 5 years |
| Coach's Contract Value | $19 million |
| Team | Michigan Wolverines |
| Team's Last Season Record | 8-24 |
| Team's 2024-25 Recruiting Targets | Durral "Phat Phat" Brooks, Connor Essegian, Jason Rivera-Torres, Cade Tyson, Aidan Mahaney |
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What You'll Learn
Dusty May's appointment as head coach
Dusty May has been appointed as the new head coach of the University of Michigan NCAA college basketball team, replacing Juwan Howard. May was previously the head coach at Florida Atlantic (FAU), where he led the team to a surprising run to the Final Four last season.
May was hired by Michigan after six seasons at FAU. He was contacted by the University following FAU's loss to Northwestern in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He met with athletic director Warde Manuel, who officially introduced May as the new head coach on Tuesday in Ann Arbor, presenting him with a Michigan jersey.
May signed a five-year, $19 million contract and has outlined his goals for the team, stating that they want to "win championships, but we also want to put fans in the seats and be easy on the eyes." He plans to use both recruiting and the transfer portal to build his roster, acknowledging the academic mission of the University and the need to find student-athletes that match that mission.
May has his work cut out for him, as the Michigan basketball program is currently in rough shape. There are only four scholarship players on the roster, and he will need to find new players, teach them his style, and build a staff, culture, and winning tradition. However, he has been described as a program builder, and he has already secured his first big win as head coach, with Durral "Phat Phat" Brooks reaffirming his commitment to the Wolverines.
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The transfer portal
May has expressed his desire to have the Wolverines shoot the three-ball with consistency, which makes Belmont small forward Cade Tyson an attractive prospect. Michigan is one of many schools that have been in contact with Tyson. The Wolverines are also in talks with St. Mary’s transfer guard Aidan Mahaney.
In terms of departures, freshman guard Justin Pippen, son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, entered the transfer portal after a limited role in his first season with Michigan. Sam Walters, a 6-foot-10 forward, is transferring to Mississippi State after two seasons with the Wolverines. Tre Donaldson's departure also marked a significant loss for the team.
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Durral Brooks' commitment
In May 2023, Durral "Phat Phat" Brooks, a 6-foot-2 in-state point guard, committed to the University of Michigan's basketball team, the Wolverines, for the 2024-25 season. Brooks is ranked No. 194 overall according to the 247Sports composite, and is the top-ranked recruit in the state of Michigan for 2024. He is also ranked 13th among point guards. Brooks grew up a Michigan fan and was named first-team All-State in the 2022-23 season. He chose Michigan over prominent offers from Michigan State, Butler, and Dayton.
Brooks' commitment was a big win for new Wolverines head coach Dusty May, who was hired in March 2024. May took over a struggling team that had just come off an 8-24 season and a last-place finish in the Big Ten Conference, the school's worst season since 1960-61. May's goal is to build a competitive and entertaining team that can win championships and put fans in the seats.
Less than a week after being hired, May met with Brooks at his high school, and Brooks reaffirmed his commitment to the Wolverines. This was significant because it gave May one less player to worry about for the 2024 roster, which had a lot of unknowns. Brooks' high school coach, TJ Meerman, praised his leadership and ability to perform at a high level despite limited practice due to a knee injury.
Brooks is expected to be a valuable addition to the Wolverines. He led his high school team, Catholic Central, in points (27.1), rebounds (7.8), assists (4.9), and steals (2.8), despite playing through a small tear in his patellar tendon and missing five games due to injury. His performance earned him the title of Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan.
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The 2024-25 season schedule
The 2024-25 season of Michigan Wolverines men's basketball began with a 101-53 victory over Cleveland State on November 4, 2024. The team was led by new head coach Dusty May, who was hired in March 2024 on a five-year, $19 million contract. May's goals for the team were to be "enjoyable to watch" and to "win championships," while also "put [ing] fans in the seats and be [ing] easy on the eyes."
In the offseason, May was active in the transfer portal, reaching out to players such as Connor Essegian, Jason Rivera-Torres, and Cade Tyson. May also secured commitments from incoming freshmen Christian Anderson Jr. and Phat Phat Brooks, who signed their National Letter of Intent in November 2023. Brooks, a highly-touted recruit, averaged 27.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.8 steals during his high school career.
On April 19, Justin Pippen, the son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Scottie Pippen, committed to Michigan, becoming the highest-ranked high school recruit for May. Additionally, L.J. Cason, a three-star guard, followed May to Michigan after pledging his verbal commitment. On May 9, Washington III transferred to Richmond, and on May 13, May hired Matt Aldred, a former assistant coach for the 2017-18 Florida Gators, as the men's basketball strength and conditioning coach.
On January 7, 2025, Goodman enrolled early, joining the team mid-season. On January 27, McKenney was named a McDonald's All-American, becoming the first Michigan signee to receive this honour since 2021.
The Wolverines finished the season with a 25-9 record, including a 17-6 record against conference opponents and a 7-5 record against ranked opponents. They won their twelfth conference game, defeating Wisconsin 59-53 in the Big Ten championship game on March 16. This was their fourth tournament win and the first since 2018.
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The team's poor 2023-24 season
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team had a disappointing 2023-24 season, finishing with an 8-24 record and placing last in the Big Ten Conference. This was the school's worst season since 1960-61. In March 2024, the University of Michigan hired a new head coach, Dusty May, to lead the team in a new direction. May, who previously coached at Florida Atlantic, signed a five-year, $19 million contract. He replaces Juwan Howard, who was fired after five seasons.
May has his work cut out for him, with only four scholarship players currently on the roster. He plans to use both recruiting and the transfer portal to build his team. May has already secured his first big win as head coach, with highly-ranked recruit Durral "Phat Phat" Brooks reaffirming his commitment to the Wolverines. Brooks is a 6-foot-2 combo guard who led Catholic Central in points, rebounds, assists, and steals despite playing through an injury.
May has also expressed interest in several other players through the transfer portal, including Connor Essegian, a combo guard from Wisconsin, and Jason Rivera-Torres, a freshman from Vanderbilt. May wants his team to shoot the three-ball with consistency, and he has reached out to Belmont small forward Cade Tyson, one of the top shooters in the country. In addition to recruiting and transfers, May will also focus on building a staff, developing a culture, and implementing his style of play.
The Wolverines have a lot of ground to make up after their poor 2023-24 season, but with a new head coach and some promising recruits, they are taking the first steps toward improvement and competitiveness. May has a challenging task ahead of him, but he is confident in his ability to build up the program. He has a vision for the team and plans to get it off the ground immediately, focusing on developing young players and competing for championships.
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Frequently asked questions
Dusty May is the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball program.
Dusty May wants the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball program to be both competitive and entertaining. He wants to win championships and put fans in the seats.
Dusty May plans to use both recruiting and the transfer portal. He also wants to focus on getting back in the mix with four-star forward Khani Rooths, who decommitted on March 18.
Dusty May has reached out to Connor Essegian, Jason Rivera-Torres, Cade Tyson, and Aidan Mahaney.
"Michigan is a special place because everyone is pulling in the same direction," May said. "Our goal across the board — and thank you head coaches, assistant coaches, athletes for being here today — we have a goal to develop young people and compete for championships, and that goal will never change."
