With Dusty May on his way to Dallas, Michigan appears poised to promote his top assistant, Mike Boynton, into his former role. It is a reasonable move, given that the Wolverines want to retain the core of their national championship roster. Boynton's familiarity with that roster gives Michigan the best shot at doing exactly that.
So it is a solid approach for the short term in Ann Arbor. For the long term, though, things get more complicated. The truth is, Michigan does not have to make a final decision right now. It can hold the interim tag on Boynton for several months and let him prove himself one way or another.
If he wins, the Wolverines have their coach. If he struggles, Warde Manuel can go in a different direction with plenty of options still available. For now, Boynton is the right man for the job, but it makes sense for Michigan to wait before committing past 2027. Here is why.
Boynton Offers Stability and Continuity
College basketball's current rules give a massive advantage to coaches coming in from another school. If a coach takes a new job, his former school's players are free to enter the portal once that school hires a replacement. Had Michigan hired from outside the program, as it could have if it were filling this job back in April, it could have raided that roster if it needed to.
But the Wolverines do not want to do that. They have a top roster in place, reinforcements on the way, and a strong recruiting class. They would like to keep that group in maize and blue if at all possible. Boynton gives them the best chance to do that.
Had Michigan gone a different route, its players would have been highly likely to leave. That could have left the Wolverines with a real mess on their hands, effectively forcing them to punt the season. Hiring Boynton keeps the roster intact and lets Michigan try to run it back with a veteran group.
Boynton Has Never Had a Fair Shot
While Boynton has previous head coaching experience, circumstances at Oklahoma State were far from ideal. The Cowboys were hit with a postseason ban over violations committed by former assistant coach Lamont Evans, who was long gone by the time Boynton took over for Brad Underwood. Oklahoma State then lost another shot at the postseason when COVID hit, and Boynton's best team came in 2021, the same year Oregon State made its miracle run inside the Indianapolis bubble.
So this is really Boynton's first shot at a head coaching job without the cards stacked against him, and he is walking into one of the better situations in college basketball. If he cannot win with this roster, it will be fair to question whether he is the long-term answer at a program like Michigan.
Either way, Boynton has earned this opportunity. And given the roster Michigan has in place, the program is in prime position to give it to him.
Michigan Hasn't Handled Snap Decisions Well
This isn’t the first time Michigan has had a coach leave for the pros in recent years. In 2019, John Beilein left for the NBA, which ranks as one of the worst fits in recent memory. Beilein lasted just 54 games, and his replacement in Ann Arbor did not fare much better.
Juwan Howard seemed like a natural choice coming over from the Miami Heat, but once he stepped outside the bubble, things went south. Over his final three seasons, Michigan went from the Sweet 16 to the NIT to last place in the Big Ten.
On the football side, Jim Harbaugh left after winning a national title, and Sherrone Moore looked like a strong replacement at first. Moore was later fired over an inappropriate relationship, and Michigan needed a new coach again within two years.
To his credit, Warde Manuel responded to those missteps by hiring May and Kyle Whittingham. That track record shows that when Michigan takes its time, Manuel is capable of bringing in the right leader. When he has had to scramble, the Wolverines have paid the price.
Naming Boynton interim coach buys Michigan a year. He gets a full season to make his case for the job, and the program gets time to put together a real backup plan if it needs one.
There Is a Blueprint for Doing This Right
Two years ago, Virginia was stunned by Tony Bennett's sudden retirement. Rather than make a permanent hire right away, the Cavaliers handed the season to Ron Sanchez. Sanchez could not sustain what Bennett had built, and Virginia slipped to 15-17.
But the Cavaliers used that season to plan their next move carefully. By the time it ended, Ryan Odom was available. Virginia made its move, and Odom rewarded the program with a 30-6 season. With just one subpar year, Virginia successfully bridged the gap between two successful eras.
If Boynton turns out not to be the answer, it will cost Michigan only one season. The Wolverines already have their title from last year, and they will either find real success with Boynton or become the most attractive job on the market come April.
Neither outcome is a bad place to land. And it only happens if Michigan takes a patient approach now.
If this was your kind of read, you’ll like what’s next. Get The Sandman Ticket, our free, weekly newsletter with picks, insights, and a little bit of everything we love about sports.
