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North Carolina’s search for its next head coach has been the talk of the town before the Final Four tips off in Indianapolis.
A large reason for it is that UNC’s top two choices, Tommy Lloyd of Arizona and Dusty May of Michigan, ironically will coach against each other. Because of the noise surrounding Lloyd, Arizona acted swiftly and gave Lloyd an extension with some lucrative benefits.
With Lloyd staying at Arizona, the Tar Heels turned their attention to May, and rightfully so. In two seasons in Ann Arbor, May is 62-13 with two Big Ten championships — one regular-season title and one tournament title — and Elite Eight and Final Four appearances.
Before he came to Michigan, May had great success at Florida Atlantic, going 126-69 from 2018 to 2024. He led the Owls to the Final Four in 2023, losing to San Diego State on a buzzer-beater in the national semifinals.
However, unlike Lloyd, who was giving a lot of mixed signals, May was more upfront about how much he and his family love being at Michigan.
"I think it's well-documented how happy I am at Michigan,” he said during a media availability on Friday. “Obviously, my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. So, yeah, I love it at Michigan, but you'll never hear me comment on any other job, unless Michigan lets me go, and I'll comment on every job."
The University of Michigan’s athletic brass have also been on top of things and will do whatever they can to keep May.
“(Michigan AD Warde Manuel) told me, ‘we're prepared when all this is over to do anything we have to do to keep our head coach,’” Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports said. “That means one thing: Dusty May's kids are not gonna have to de-deal with student loans. And North Carolina is either gonna have to wait until after the NBA season to talk to Billy Donovan or go down its list.”
It will be difficult to lure May to Carolina. Michigan is as committed to basketball as it is to football and is considered one of the favorites to win a national title. The Wolverines also have as much, if not more, NIL support as North Carolina. Notable donors such as Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, and Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, have given money to Michigan athletics in the past.
Moreover, May had the opportunity to return to his alma mater, Indiana, where he had been a student manager under the late Bob Knight, when Mike Woodson announced his retirement in 2025. However, he chose instead to sign a multiyear extension with the Wolverines rather than return to the Hoosier State.
“I think Michigan is really unique,” May said. “We say in recruiting that we have the academic profile of Stanford with the passion of SEC football for our athletic department as a whole — and usually those two things aren’t merged. So we’re very proud that those two things are aligned at Michigan.”
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC's coaching search: Dusty May is a tough target
Continue reading...
A large reason for it is that UNC’s top two choices, Tommy Lloyd of Arizona and Dusty May of Michigan, ironically will coach against each other. Because of the noise surrounding Lloyd, Arizona acted swiftly and gave Lloyd an extension with some lucrative benefits.
With Lloyd staying at Arizona, the Tar Heels turned their attention to May, and rightfully so. In two seasons in Ann Arbor, May is 62-13 with two Big Ten championships — one regular-season title and one tournament title — and Elite Eight and Final Four appearances.
Before he came to Michigan, May had great success at Florida Atlantic, going 126-69 from 2018 to 2024. He led the Owls to the Final Four in 2023, losing to San Diego State on a buzzer-beater in the national semifinals.
However, unlike Lloyd, who was giving a lot of mixed signals, May was more upfront about how much he and his family love being at Michigan.
"I think it's well-documented how happy I am at Michigan,” he said during a media availability on Friday. “Obviously, my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. So, yeah, I love it at Michigan, but you'll never hear me comment on any other job, unless Michigan lets me go, and I'll comment on every job."
The University of Michigan’s athletic brass have also been on top of things and will do whatever they can to keep May.
“(Michigan AD Warde Manuel) told me, ‘we're prepared when all this is over to do anything we have to do to keep our head coach,’” Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports said. “That means one thing: Dusty May's kids are not gonna have to de-deal with student loans. And North Carolina is either gonna have to wait until after the NBA season to talk to Billy Donovan or go down its list.”
It will be difficult to lure May to Carolina. Michigan is as committed to basketball as it is to football and is considered one of the favorites to win a national title. The Wolverines also have as much, if not more, NIL support as North Carolina. Notable donors such as Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, and Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, have given money to Michigan athletics in the past.
Moreover, May had the opportunity to return to his alma mater, Indiana, where he had been a student manager under the late Bob Knight, when Mike Woodson announced his retirement in 2025. However, he chose instead to sign a multiyear extension with the Wolverines rather than return to the Hoosier State.
“I think Michigan is really unique,” May said. “We say in recruiting that we have the academic profile of Stanford with the passion of SEC football for our athletic department as a whole — and usually those two things aren’t merged. So we’re very proud that those two things are aligned at Michigan.”
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC's coaching search: Dusty May is a tough target
Continue reading...
