Five days after leading Michigan men’s basketball to its first national championship in 37 years, Dusty May got a new contract.
The second-year Wolverines head coach has reached an agreement on a deal that will keep May at the university, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said on Saturday, April 11 at a championship celebration at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“He will be the leader of this basketball team for many years to come,” Manuel said, prompting a standing ovation from the fans in attendance at the event.
REQUIRED READING: Confetti, banners and roars: Inside Michigan basketball’s epic title celebration
After inheriting a program that went 8-24 in 2023-24, May has gone 64-13 in two seasons at the school. His 2025-26 team went 37-3 and won the Big Ten regular-season title before a dominant run through the 2026 NCAA Tournament that was capped off by a 69-63 victory against UConn in the national title game last Monday. The 37 wins were a program single-season record.
May’s success in rapidly turning around the Wolverines has transformed him into one of the brightest coaching stars in the sport and has attracted interest from other programs. The 49-year-old Indiana native was widely linked to the vacant North Carolina position before May informed the university he wasn’t pursuing other college jobs.
“I’m very grateful, and during the (NCAA) tournament, I just told Warde I’m not leaving,” May said Saturday during an appearance on Big Ten Network, which was airing the championship celebration. “And I probably ruined any leverage I could have had. It’s an honor to coach at this great institution, and I just look forward to what’s next.”
May had previously been the head coach at Florida Atlantic, where he led the Owls to an improbable appearance in the 2023 Final Four.
In February 2025, while guiding Michigan to a 19-win improvement and a run to the Sweet 16 in his first season, May received a one-year contract extension that ran through 2030 that raised his average annual salary from $3.825 million to $5.1 million.
Manuel told reporters that May’s new deal will run through 2031, though the financial details of the contract are still being finalized.
“I’m very relieved, but we knew it was done a few days before the final game,” Manuel said Saturday. “You want to have a coach that other people want, and I’m happy to keep him. Dusty and I have a great relationship and trust in one another. For me, it feels awesome to know that he’s going to continue to lead this program and continue to be the head coach here at Michigan.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan AD: Dusty May has agreed to a new deal with the Wolverines
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