BREAKING: Michigan head coach Dusty May has agreed to a new contract that will keep him in Ann Arbor for the foreseeable future. More details here:
Just a couple hours before a top-15 showdown with Michigan State on Friday evening, the Michigan Wolverines ’ men’s basketball program announced that head coach Dusty May has agreed to a new multi-year contract.
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported that May’s new deal was a one-year extension on his original deal, which will now run through the spring of 2030. He will get a pay raise of $1 million annually, pay bumps for his staff, an increase in program resources (NIL included), and a $7.5 million buyout.
“We’ve picked up positive momentum as a team, and on the recruiting front, and we didn’t want it to be a distraction internally or externally,” May told Norlander on the reason for the timing of the new deal. ““I think it makes it obvious: I’m staying at Michigan. I really wasn’t interested in leveraging in negotiating.”
Below are statements, provided by the program:
WARDE MANUEL: “I am excited to announce that Dusty and I have agreed to a new multi-year contract. His commitment to this University and the success of the men’s basketball program has far exceeded our expectations and makes us all excited for what the future holds. I look forward to Dusty, Anna, and his family remaining a part of the fabric of this University and community for many years to come.”
DUSTY MAY: “I am grateful to Warde (Manuel), U-M President Santa Ono, and all the members of the Board of Regents for the trust and support they have given me as the head coach. My goal is to bring continued success to this historic program. We cannot reach that goal without the hard work that my staff and players put into this program. We have built a solid foundation; however, there is much more work to be done. I look forward to those challenges and what the future holds for me and my family in Ann Arbor.”
SANTA ONO: “I am thrilled that Dusty will be with us long term. I want to thank Warde for his outstanding leadership and for getting this done.”
May was hired last March about one week following former head coach Juwan Howard’s firing. May’s first season has been a great one so far — the Wolverines are currently atop the Big Ten standing with a 12-2 conference record. Heading into tonight’s game against the Spartans, the Wolverines are 20-5 overall.
Additionally, May was named to the watch list for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year on Friday. If the Wolverines cap Friday off with a rivalry win, that’d be one hell of a day for Michigan’s first-year head coach.
With Indiana — May’s childhood team — having a vacancy after the season with Mike Woodson stepping down, it’s great that Manuel got May locked in for the foreseeable future. May has ties to Indiana, growing up in the state and serving as a student manager under legendary head coach Bob Knight from 1996-2000.
It wouldn’t have been a shock to see him legitimately seek out that job in the offseason, but now Michigan fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that May is committed to the Wolverines for a long time.