Boynton Lands Two-Year Michigan Job After Portal Chaos — SkimNews
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- Michigan Wolverines beat UConn on April 6 for the program’s first national championship since 1989; the transfer portal opened 40 minutes later, and lottery picks Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. declared for the NBA draft.
- Dusty May left Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks on June 22, making Mike Boynton interim head coach; Boynton said Michigan had 15 free agents on June 23, while NCAA rules delayed new portal entries until 31 days after his appointment.
- Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney recommitted first and told the group chat to stay; Moustapha Thiam recommitted June 30, J.P. Estrella days later and five-star Brandon McCoy Jr. on July 4, leaving L.J. Cason as the only player to transfer.
- Mike Boynton accepted a two-year Michigan contract on July 10, but his second season is guaranteed only if he meets two of four benchmarks: 24 regular-season wins, a top-four Big Ten finish, a Big Ten tournament championship or a Sweet 16.
- Michigan Wolverines entered the title defense with the three best players from the championship team gone, Dusty May departed and much of the roster and staff new; Boynton and Estrella said it was a different team building its own legacy.
- Brandon McCoy Jr., Michigan’s penciled-in fifth starter, tore his right ACL in late August during the Wolverines’ European tour; Michigan still had unanswered lineup questions entering Friday’s national-title rematch with No. 4 UConn at TD Garden.
Why it matters: Quick recommitments from Cadeau, McKenney, Thiam and Estrella gave Michigan continuity after June 22. Boynton’s July 10 contract makes his second season guaranteed only if he meets two of four benchmarks—24 regular-season wins, a top-four Big Ten finish, a Big Ten tournament title or a Sweet 16—turning the title defense into a public job review.
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