Boynton Signs Two-Year Deal to Lead Michigan

Mike Boynton is the permanent head basketball coach at Michigan. The university signed him to a two-year contract following the departure of Dusty May. May left the program to become the head coach for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Michigan initially named Boynton interim head coach before finalizing the long-term agreement.

Boynton returns to a head coaching position after two seasons as an assistant. He previously led Oklahoma State for seven seasons. His record there stands at 119 wins and 109 losses. The team made one NCAA Tournament appearance during that tenure. Oklahoma State fired Boynton after he finished with a 12-20 record in the 2023-24 campaign.

Boynton credits his time on May’s staff for sharpening his coaching skills. He spoke to reporters during Big Ten media days about the experience. “The last two years have been sort of like a sabbatical for me,” Boynton said. He described sitting next to May every day to learn how to run a high-functioning organization. Boynton noted he learned how to identify specific qualities in players and delegate responsibilities effectively.

Michigan’s hiring represents the largest move in the college basketball coaching market this offseason. Several other major programs have also changed their head coaches. Kansas State fired Jerome Tang after four seasons. Tang went 26-10 in his first year but finished 45-47 over the next three years. Casey Alexander is the new coach at Kansas State. Alexander holds a career record of 303-180 from stints at Stetson, Lipscomb, and Belmont.

Will Wade returns to LSU for a second stint. The school fired him in 2022 after the NCAA cited him for recruiting violations. Matt McMahon replaced Wade but was fired after going 60-70 in four seasons. Wade led McNeese and N.C. State to NCAA Tournament berths while away from LSU. He won 105 games and lost 51 in his first six seasons in Baton Rouge.

North Carolina hired Michael Malone in an unconventional move. Malone had no prior ties to the Tar Heels and no college head coaching experience. He went 510-394 as an NBA coach from 2013 to 2025. Malone won a championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. He replaces Hubert Davis, who went 125-54 in five years and led North Carolina to the 2022 NCAA championship game.

N.C. State hired Justin Gainey as its first-time head coach. Gainey was a former Wolfpack captain and most recently served on Rick Barnes’ Tennessee staff. He also held assistant roles at Marquette, Arizona, Appalachian State, and Elon. He replaces Will Wade, who went 20-14 in his lone season at N.C. State before returning to LSU.

Syracuse hired Gerry McNamara to replace Adrian Autry. McNamara holds the career school records for 3-point baskets and minutes played. He led Siena to a 23-12 record and an NCAA appearance last season. Autry was fired after going 49-48 in three years without an NCAA Tournament bid.