The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1518781
18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2024 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan has had its share of coaching changes over the past few decades, some successful, some not. A few guys won people over at the press conference and delivered, some were met with skepticism and failed, and others won the presser but couldn't get it done when it mattered. Dusty May got his shot on March 27, when athletics director Warde Manuel introduced him to replace Juwan How- ard as the 18th head coach in Michigan men's basketball history. The former Florida Atlantic coach delivered, as many who knew him told us he would … poised and polished, but also sincere. The same people told us to expect the same from him when his teams take the court — that they'll represent the school well and make Michigan basketball fans proud. What seemed most clear on Day 1, though, was just how good a fit May is at Michigan. He was Manuel's No. 1 choice to replace Juwan Howard after an 8-24 season, the AD said. When the search was over, he got the coach who happened to be one of the hottest avail- able commodities. "I want to thank the former Michi- gan players, coaches, and staffers," May said. "You guys built this place. I'm here to serve you and represent you as well as I can, but this is your program. I'm just a steward, and I'm blessed to do that. "I will represent this program with class and dignity, and that is something we're never going to waver from. Michi- gan is a special place because everyone's pulling in the same direction." They are now, but that hasn't always been the case. Some still believe basket- ball is an afterthought at Michigan, but former coach John Beilein proved dur- ing his tenure that it's not. Crisler Arena was rocking when he was here, and the Michigan following on the road during NCAA Tournament games rivaled that of any fanbase in the country. It can get there again, and May truly believes it. He comes here familiar with the U-M tradition, having previously coached at Eastern Michigan, and he's very familiar with Big Ten basketball as a former Bob Knight student manager at Indiana. In short, he's the perfect fit. And while he credited Louisville, another suitor for his services, for being an "un- believable basketball school," he real- ized early U-M was a better fit for him. "We have a goal to develop young people and compete for championships, and that goal will never change," he said. "But this is one place that everywhere you go — and I didn't know this until I lived in this state down the street — the pride, respect, and adoration for that block 'M' … that brand of Michigan. "I've never been at another university that had as much pride as every alum, student, whoever I came across has in this place. That's very, very unique." That's exactly what Manuel, who over the last two months has replaced his two biggest-ticket coaches with football and men's hoops, was looking for. He took Beilein to Florida with him the day after May and his FAU team lost to North- western in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to help recruit him, in fact. Beilein later said May "answered every question perfectly," convinc- ing him they were on the right track. It happened quickly — "like speed dat- ing," Manuel quipped — but in the end, Michigan got its man. "One of the things I was looking for from the start was a great leader, some- body who had been a proven leader and head coach, that I can take a look at somebody who had competed in the regular season," Manuel said. "The one thing I know from a lot of coaches is that you can win in tournaments and have a great run. But when you're con- sistent in the conference play, when you're seeing teams more than once, when you've seen them over the years, that says something about the ability to coach the game, lead, motivate and do all those things. "So, that's what I was looking for. I don't know how many people we called all together to talk about Dusty and get some information, but normally, in ev- ery search I've ever conducted, there's something negative. Some issue arose, and somebody didn't think he handled it right or they didn't think they handled this student-athlete right or their team." He heard nothing but positives with May, he said. After talking to "about 10 or 12" former basketball players trying to get their sense of what was available, he found his guy. It just so happened that May wanted Michigan, too. "That's what I was looking for," Man- uel said. "A great leader and a great per- son, and somebody who had that con- sistency from being a head coach." ROSTER COMPOSITION, COACHING STAFF WILL BE KEY May's first priority is to put a com- petitive Michigan team on the floor in MAY DAY IN ANN ARBOR Michigan Moves Quickly, Hires Florida Atlantic's Dusty May As Men's Head Basketball Coach May was formally introduced March 27 as the 18th head coach in Michigan men's basketball program history. May and his wife, Anna, have three sons (left to right): Charlie, Eli and Jack. Jack currently plays at Florida, while Charlie plays at Central Florida. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY