Could Indiana actually make a run at Dusty May? Will Michigan give May a new contract? In this edition of SB Nation Reacts we want to know how hard the Wolverines should work to keep May in Ann Arbor.
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Michigan head coach Dusty May has the basketball team much improved and has a chance to make a deep postseason run this season. Michigan is currently ranked No. 20 in the nation with an 18-5 record while going 10-2 in the Big Ten Conference and 8-0 thus far at home. However, will May be one and done at Michigan is this just the beginning of the May era in Ann Arbor?
May has ties to Indiana, a university he graduated from and a student manager for the basketball team under head coach Bobby Knight. Indiana will need a new coach next season with Mike Woodson stepping down at the end of this year. May is perceived to be a coach Indiana will target, and after Michigan beat Indiana on Saturday, May didn’t exactly flat-out squash the speculation.
“That stuff’s crazy. I love being at Michigan. I love our team. We’re fighting like crazy. That’s it. This place (Indiana) is my foundation, but I’m very, very happy at the University of Michigan,” May said. “We were here to win a game, and mission accomplished.”
May’s in the first year of a five-year contract with Michigan worth $3.75 million annually before bonuses, but will that contract remain or will Michigan be inclined to give May a new contract, especially if Indiana tries to bring him to Bloomington?
Our SB Nation Reacts question this week wants to know how hard should Michigan work to keep Dusty May? Vote Below.
The Juwan Howard era turned into a big dud and May has brought back stability to the program presently as well as hope for the future. It also helps that beloved former Michigan head coach John Beilein was involved in the hiring process and believed May was the right man for the job. However, bidding wars can be a tricky thing, especially for a team like Indiana whose relevance has been waning for years now. While Michigan is objectively a better program at the moment, relationships matter, and May clearly holds his memories at Indiana in high regard, which makes things a bit uncertain. My guess would be Michigan will do what it takes for May to stay and not let a Big Ten Conference foe take their coach from them — but this is something that’s going to drag out until May gets a new contract or he clearly states he won’t be leaving Michigan anytime soon.
How did you vote this week? Let us know in the comments and come back later in the week when we reveal the results.