Michigan Names Boynton Full-Time Coach on 2-Year Deal
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- Mike Boynton Jr. agreed to a two-year contract as Michigan's head men's basketball coach, officially removing the interim tag he had carried since Dusty May departed for the Dallas Mavericks last month.
- Warde Manuel endorsed Boynton as a "veteran assistant with strong head coaching experience," citing his work as defensive coordinator in building the nation's No. 1 defense during Michigan's title-winning season.
- Michigan held together nearly its entire roster after the coaching change, with projected starter Trey McKenney and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau both announcing they would stay.
- Incoming transfers J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) and Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) reaffirmed their commitments, as did five-star recruit Brandon McCoy Jr.
- L.J. Cason is the only remaining player yet to announce his plans, as he recovers from a torn right ACL suffered in late February and is expected to potentially miss the entire 2026-27 campaign.
- Michigan enters the new season ranked No. 5 in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25.
- Boynton spent seven seasons as head coach at Oklahoma State before joining Michigan, leading the Cowboys to a 2021 NCAA tournament run behind future No. 1 NBA draft pick Cade Cunningham.
Why it matters: Michigan hands a two-year deal — a notably short commitment for a reigning champion — to the assistant who already held the program together through the transition, retaining a top-five roster including a Final Four MOP and multiple incoming transfers that could easily have followed May out the door.
