Five thoughts on Michigan hiring Mody Maor as an assistant coach

Michigan is hiring Mody Maor to the assistant coaching staff in an intriguing outside-the-box move. Maor hasn’t been officially announced by the program, but his name is listed on MGoBlue as an assistant coach, and 247 Sports reported the hire.

Maor has never coached college basketball and has spent his recent seasons as a head coach in New Zealand and Japan.

Now, the Israeli-American is headed to Ann Arbor to play a role on Dusty May’s revamped staff. Maor grew up in Los Angeles before moving to Israel at age 8, and later served as an officer in the IDF Special Forces.

Here are five thoughts on the hire, Maor’s experience, and how he fits on May’s coaching staff.

1. The fit is easy to see if you look closely

On the surface, the fit might sound a bit odd.

Maor is an international coach who was an IDF officer and has never coached college basketball. He’s known for his fiery personality, has a few ejections to his name, and comes off a bit more brash than Dusty May in public settings.

Look a little closer, and it’s easy to see why this is a match. His podcast interview with Slappin Glass makes it easy to picture him and May sitting down for a basketball conversation that runs hours longer than planned.

Maor talks about basketball in a way that aligns with May. In the podcast, he dives deep into layering offensive actions, how to flow from one thing to another, screening angles, and the importance of teaching players how to play off advantages.

They wouldn’t agree on everything, but that’s the point. May wants coaches who will bring something new to the table, a coach who speaks the same language but can add new chapters to the book.

Maor comes across as a coach worth inviting to the conversation, and that’s what makes him an exciting addition.

One of the biggest things Michigan lost when Justin Joyner left for Oregon State was an outside voice. Joyner was one of two coaches who came from outside the May coaching tree, and replacing him with another outside perspective should help keep the program moving forward.