ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan is promoting Mike Boynton to interim basketball coach to replace Dusty May, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.
May and the Dallas Mavericks are finalizing a contract for him to make the jump to the NBA, another person with knowledge of the deal told the AP. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal wasn’t completed.
The Wolverines were suddenly searching for a coach with big sneakers to fill and didn't take much time to make a move.
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel chose to give the former Oklahoma State coach another chance to lead a program, hoping the continuity would help convince players on the roster to stay.
Boynton recruited Cade Cunningham to play for Cowboys in 2020 even though they were facing NCAA penalties from rule violations under a former assistant coach. Two years ago, Boynton was fired with a 119-109 record over seven seasons.
May said during the NCAA Tournament that his top assistant should get another shot to lead a team.
“He’s an elite basketball coach,” May said in April. “He did a really good job at Oklahoma State, especially considering the circumstances.
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami and AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon in Dallas contributed to this report.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
