Mike Boynton Jr. named full-time head coach of Michigan Basketball

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Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) warms up with assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. ahead of the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 between Michigan and Alabama at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 27, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The interim tag is officially off, as University of Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel has named Mike Boynton Jr. the full-time head coach of the men’s basketball program on Friday.

A championship foundation. A familiar leader.

Mike Boynton Jr. has been appointed head coach of Michigan Men’s Basketball.

Read more about the next chapter in Ann Arbor. https://t.co/RRpjUwYEnH#GoBluepic.twitter.com/JQmm2giggo

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) July 10, 2026

Boynton, who was initially elevated to interim head coach following Dusty May’s departure to the Dallas Mavericks, has signed a two-year contract to lead the defending national champions going forward.

Boynton was named interim head coach just on day after May’s departure, with Manuel moving quickly to provide the program with immediate stability during one of the more turbulent weeks in program history. While it was rumored Manuel spoke with at least one outside candidate, Boynton’s performance in the interim — and the results he produced in a short amount of time — ultimately made the decision straightforward.

“Mike is a veteran assistant with strong head coaching experience and a clear understanding of the standard we expect at Michigan,” Manuel said in a press release. “Over the past two seasons, he has been an invaluable member of our staff, bringing stability, leadership and perspective during an important period of success. Our players and staff believe in his vision, are committed to his leadership and are excited for the opportunity to pursue great success together this season.”

“Coach Boynton has demonstrated exceptional leadership, unwavering integrity, and a deep commitment to the development of student-athletes throughout his career,” said Michigan President Domenico Grasso in the same press release. “I am confident he will build on our winning tradition, strengthen our culture of excellence, and lead our program in a way that reflects the very best of the University of Michigan’s values.”

“I’m grateful to Warde for his confidence and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program,” said Boynton in the same press release. “We have built a championship culture and a standard that everyone associated with this program takes great pride in. We have an outstanding group of players, and I’m excited to get to work and continue the success we’ve established together.”

From the moment he took over, Boynton operated with the conviction and urgency of a man who knew exactly what was at stake. He met with players and their families and made clear he intended to maintain the system May built. He went to work immediately on roster retention, earning reaffirmations from the program’s most important players in Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, Moustapha Thiam and J.P. Estrella. The rest of the roster — other than L.J. Cason — has also recommitted for next season, as of this writing. That kind of roster retention doesn’t happen without a coach who commands respect and trust from the players he is working with.

For those unfamiliar, Boynton is not a first-time head coach walking into an unfamiliar situation. He served as the head coach at Oklahoma State from 2017-24, going 119-109 over seven seasons and overseeing the recruitment and development of point guard Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He joined May’s staff in Ann Arbor in 2024 and served as Michigan’s defensive coordinator, helping build the No. 1 defense in college basketball over the past two seasons.

May himself put it best during the championship run earlier this year. “He’s an elite basketball coach. 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. The best part about him is he covers my blind spots before they’re blind.”

Michigan enters the 2026-27 season as the defending national champion with a roster that, despite the chaos of the past few weeks, still has the talent and depth to compete for another title. Whether Boynton can take the foundation May built and sustain it over the long term remains to be seen, but if the last few weeks are any indication, he should be more than capable of rising to the challenge.

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