Dusty May is headed to the Dallas Mavericks next season. That leaves Michigan with a national championship trophy from 2025-26 and an open head coaching job for 2026-27. The program is already moving fast.
Pete Nakos of On3 put together an initial hot board of candidates. The first name is familiar to anyone who has watched the Wolverines this season: Mike Boynton, currently an assistant and former Oklahoma State head coach.
Boynton spent two years as Michigan’s defensive coordinator after seven seasons leading the Cowboys. His record at Oklahoma State was 119-109 with one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021 and two NIT quarterfinal runs. He had three 20-win seasons. Whether Michigan promotes him or names him interim while conducting a national search remains unclear.
Then there’s Billy Donovan. He’s probably the biggest name out there. Two national titles at Florida. Four Final Fours. A career record of 467-186. The idea of Donovan in Ann Arbor is intriguing, especially if he keeps Boynton on staff to hold the roster together.
But Donovan might not want the job. He’s been an NBA guy for a while now.
If Michigan goes elsewhere and can’t land Donovan, John Schertz from Saint Louis enters the picture. Nakos noted that if this opening happened in April 2027, Schertz would be a top candidate. But the timing of May’s departure makes things trickier. Keeping the current roster intact is priority one for Michigan, and pulling Schertz out of Saint Louis right now might not sell either side.
Whoever gets the job will have to deal with the transfer portal. It opens five days after a new coach is officially announced. That’s a tight window. Players will have decisions to make quickly, and the new staff will need to move just as fast.
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