'Michigan is a special place': Why Dusty May chose Michigan over Louisville, other opportunities
By Saturday night, after the Owls lost in overtime to Northwestern, May had agreed to become Michigan's next head coach after meeting with Warde Manuel, John Beilein and others in Fort Lauderdale. Dusty May, the head coach of Florida Atlantic, chose Michigan over Louisville over the most prestigious coaching position in the country. May had been considered a strong contender for the prestigious position, but chose Michigan after meeting with Warde Manuel, John Beilein and others in Fort Lauderdale. The decision to leave Louisville for Michigan was seen as a surprising turn of events, as May had previously been considered the 'it' head-coaching candidate. Despite this, May's five-year, $18.75 million contract with Michigan was signed after a challenging season for the team. May credits his decision to Michigan for being the right fit for him and his family. He also credits his connections to the Wolverines' blend of success and development, which allows him to build a program rooted in development.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Zach Shaw in Sports
A week ago, Dusty May was preparing for the NCAA Tournament. Hoping to lead Florida Atlantic to a second straight Final Four, downplayed questions about his personal future, focusing instead on Friday's game. Behind the scenes, all indications where that May's representation was working out a potential departure for Louisville. Believed to be the 'it' head-coaching candidate in this year's cycle, May had been pencilled in for what many perceived to be the most prestigious job opening in the country this year.
Yet by Saturday night, after the Owls lost in overtime to Northwestern, May had agreed to become Michigan's next head coach after meeting with Warde Manuel, John Beilein and others in Fort Lauderdale.
Among Cardinals fans and media as well as the national pundits, it was a shocking turn of events. Among Michigan fans, excitement for a coach who turned an FAU program that had seven straight losing seasons prior to May's arrival, then had six straight winning seasons during his tenure.
By Tuesday, the ink had dried on May's five-year, $18.75 million contract, and May was able to reflect on the decision he and his family made that turned heads around the college basketball nation.
"Louisville is an unbelievable basketball school," May said. "But this was the right fit for me, my family, and it just felt right. And I'm a big feel guy, I'm a big fit guy. And from day one, this was one that I just thought would match me and allow me and those around me to have the highest level of success doing it the way that we enjoy doing it."
"Walking off the floor (Friday) — wow, a range of emotions. It had been such a challenging season and I don't say that in a negative way. And typically when your season ends, you feel like you're going to collapse, you're emotionally fatigued. You're just ready for the next chapter, which usually is recruiting and retention and planning meetings. I think it was that night or the next morning, I get a text from my agent Andy. And he said, 'Michigan would like to meet in person. We have to work out some logistics.' So we worked out the logistics. It was Saturday, Saturday evening. We got back at 1 or 2 am Friday night, Saturday evening, drove to Fort Lauderdale, and met with Warde, Doug (Gnodtke), Chad at Turnkey, and Andy, myself — and had a great conversation. And I probably showed my hand too early because this was the place that I wanted to be."
Helping Michigan's fit with May, whether it was expected or not, was May's first season as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti for the 2005-06 season. It was only one season in Washtenaw County, but it was under former Michigan assistant Charles Ramsey. And even if it was just one season before May, then 29 years old, moved on to coach at Murray State, it was a memorable one for May.
"Charles Ramsey former Michigan assistant, hired me as a mid-20s, young, dumb assistant years ago (at Eastern Michigan) and we were able to live in this community for a year and had our youngest son Eli," May recalled. "Despite moves through Alabama, while his brothers were cheering for Auburn and Alabama, (Eli) stayed loyal to the blue."
Even his realtor proved to be a name he wouldn't forget.
"I'd never met Warde," May said. "When I lived at Eastern I knew his name because he was associate here in Michigan, but I had a real estate agent that sold us our house in Ypsilanti by the name of Chrislan Manuel. So because of that I was able to follow Warde's career, because I knew his name. That's how you do it in coaching, you follow as people bounce around the country."
Though the earlier connections didn't hurt Michigan's cause, what also helped is the Wolverines' blend of recent success, but a longer leash that allows a coach to build a program rooted in development. That allowed Beilein to go on an incredible run as a head coach, and is appealing to May, who has worked his way up the coaching ladder from a student assistant at Indiana, and built the Owls largely from the ground up.
"Michigan is a special place, because everyone's pulling in the same direction," May said. "Our goal across the board — and thank you head coaches, assistant coaches, athletes for being here today — we have a goal to develop young people and compete for championships, and that goal will never change. But this is one place that, everywhere you go, and I didn't know it until I lived in this state: The pride, respect and admiration for that block M, for the brand of Michigan, I've never been at another university that had as much pride as every alum, student, whoever I come across has in this place. That's very, very unique."
The perks of Michigan, generally speaking, are its facilities, athletic department finances and apparel deals, recent success, NBA Draft development and the ability to be overshadowed by the football program at times. That last pro is a con to some coaches, as it can make recruiting and national exposure more challenging. But to May, it allows him to put his head down and work, as opposed to the increased glad-handing and ambassadorship required at more basketball-focused schools.
"I don't have a lot of hobbies, I wake up every day starving to get better," May said. "I'm obsessed with trying to become a better teacher and coach. And fortunately, my family's very immersed in my career. They love the game and all that goes with it, and my wife's great with our players and my sons are are around their age so they have a relationship with them as well. So luckily our world's, they've collided with basketball and family."
That isn't to say Michigan doesn't have a proud basketball tradition, to be sure. The Wolverines have played in national title games in five of the last six decades, and have actually played the sixth-most national title games, made the ninth-most Final Four appearances and produced the sixth-most first-round NBA Draft picks.
It's a tradition May made a point to honor Tuesday, and one he is eager to get back on track after Michigan missed a second straight NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008.
"I want to thank the former Michigan players, coaches and staffers. You guys built this place," May said. "I'm here to serve you and represent you as well as I can, but this is your program. I'm just a steward and I'm blessed to do that. I will represent this program with class and dignity and (that is) something that we're never going to waver from."
Throughout his introductory press conference, May emphasized his belief of his "fit" at Michigan. Raised in the heart of Big Ten country, described by peers as a "basketball junkie" and taking a scenic, unglamorous route to Division-I head-coaching, May might remind fans of Beilein in his approach to the job.
May will get to forging his own path and identity, but chose Michigan in part due to his belief that he can share a lot of the success that Beilein did.
"My wife and I, Anna, we're about to be empty-nesters and typically empty nesters move South," May said. "We've decided to go with the reverse commute, and we're trading in the Atlantic Ocean saltwater of of Boca Raton, Florida for the fresh lake water of Michigan.
"We're extremely excited to be here, we can't wait to see all of you next season. Especially the Maize Rage thank you for being here. Game one in the house that Cazzie built, we can't wait, and we're ready to get going."