Boynton Signs Two-Year Deal to Succeed May at Michigan

Michigan basketball fans have a new leader for the upcoming season. The Wolverines have signed Mike Boynton to a two-year contract to replace Dusty May, who departed for the NBA.

Boynton takes the helm of a program that won the national championship last season. He served as an assistant coach on May's staff for the last two years. Before joining Michigan, Boynton spent seven seasons at Oklahoma State. He compiled a 119-109 record and led the Cowboys to one NCAA Tournament appearance. His tenure in Stillwater ended after a 12-20 finish in the 2023-24 season.

The Wolverines initially named Boynton interim head coach after May announced his move to the Dallas Mavericks. Michigan then converted that role into a permanent two-year agreement. Boynton told reporters at Big Ten media days that working alongside May improved his coaching abilities. He described the previous two years as a sabbatical where he learned how to manage a high-functioning team. He cited lessons in identifying player qualities and delegating responsibilities.

The coaching change at Michigan represents the most prominent move in this offseason's college basketball carousel. Several other major programs also changed head coaches. Kansas State hired Casey Alexander to replace Jerome Tang. Alexander holds a 303-180 career record from stints at Stetson, Lipscomb, and Belmont. Tang was fired after going 45-47 over three seasons following a strong first year.

LSU brought back Will Wade for a second stint. Wade previously coached the Tigers from 2016 to 2022 and went 105-51 with three tournament berths. He replaced Matt McMahon, who was let go after a 60-70 record in four years. Wade spent his time away from LSU at McNeese and N.C. State. N.C. State named Justin Gainey as its new head coach. Gainey is a first-time head coach who recently worked on Rick Barnes' staff at Tennessee.

North Carolina made an unusual choice by hiring Michael Malone. Malone had no prior connection to the Tar Heels and no previous college head coaching experience. He went 510-394 as an NBA coach and won a title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. Malone replaces Hubert Davis, who led North Carolina to the 2022 championship game and finished with a 125-54 record in five seasons.

Syracuse hired Gerry McNamara, a former player for the Orange. McNamara holds the school's career records for three-pointers and minutes played. He arrives after leading Siena to a 23-12 record and an NCAA Tournament bid last season. He replaces Adrian Autry, who was fired after three seasons with a 49-48 record and no tournament appearances.