Michigan is promoting Mike Boynton Jr. to interim head coach for the 2026-27 season, following Dusty May’s decision to leave for the Dallas Mavericks, with official details yet to be announced. Boynton has been an assistant coach in Ann Arbor for both seasons under May, and he spent the previous seven years as head coach at Oklahoma State.
The obvious place to start is with an understanding of Michigan’s predicament. It’s almost July; nearly every school in the country has started practicing (Michigan’s first practice was originally scheduled for today); the transfer portal is closed; and the coaching carousel has stopped.
North Carolina whiffed on most of its top candidates despite having one of the most prestigious jobs in the sport and hiring at the perfect time. There’s a real risk that most top candidates wouldn’t be interested in abandoning their current gig for a job where the deck is already stacked against them based on portal timing.
A coach that is impressive enough for Michigan to hire is probably going to have his fair share of options next March or April, too. And they’ll be better positioned for initial success with an open transfer portal and a normal cycle.
1. Mike Boynton Jr. is (over)qualified for an interim role
Mike Boynton Jr. is widely viewed as one of the top assistant coaches in college basketball. He has experience as a head coach at the high-major level (seven years at Oklahoma State), and he’s played an integral role in building Michigan from an empty roster to a national championship in two years.
He probably wasn’t qualified to be a head coach when he was promoted to the Oklahoma State job at 35, but he is more qualified than most interim hires. He’s done the job; he’s learned from his time at Oklahoma State; he’s learned from Dusty May; and he’s entrenched in what this program has become.
“He’s just as good as I am. I’m the head coach at Michigan. He’s just as good as I am. He’s just as prepared. He’s been invaluable for me,” Dusty May said at the Final Four. “He thinks — the best part about him is he covers my blind spots before they’re blind. There’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t call me and want to take something off of my plate that I haven’t thought of, and that’s what he is. He’s a forward thinker. He’s got a great feel for people.”
The feel for people and the understanding of high-major basketball are real assets for taking over the interim role. Assets that many interim hires don’t bring to the table. They don’t guarantee success, but if Boynton succeeds, they will be the reason.
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