Mike Boynton Jr. has agreed a two-year contract to become the next head men’s basketball coach at Michigan, the school announced on Friday.
Boynton had been the interim head coach since Dusty May left the reigning champion Wolverines for the Dallas Mavericks last month.
“I’m grateful to (athletic director) Warde (Manuel) for his confidence and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program,” Boynton said in a statement. “We have built a championship culture and a standard that everyone associated with this program takes great pride in. We have an outstanding group of players, and I’m excited to get to work and continue the success we’ve established together.”
The New York native was hired by May shortly after the former Florida Atlantic coach arrived at Michigan in 2024, with Boynton taking defensive coordinator duties and helping architect the nation’s No. 1 defense in the Wolverines’ title-winning season.
“Mike is a veteran assistant with strong head coaching experience and a clear understanding of the standard we expect at Michigan,” Manuel said in a statement. “Over the past two seasons, he has been an invaluable member of our staff, bringing stability, leadership and perspective during an important period of success. Our players and staff believe in his vision, are committed to his leadership and are excited for the opportunity to pursue great success together this season.”
Boynton was able to keep together nearly the entire roster in the wake of May’s exit. Projected starting guard Trey McKenney announced his intentions to stay hours after the coaching change, while starting point guard and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau followed suit days later. Incoming transfers J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) and Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) reaffirmed their commitments last week, while five-star recruit Brandon McCoy Jr. opted to stay on July 4.
The only player yet to announce his intentions is returning guard L.J. Cason, who tore his right ACL in late February and is expected to potentially miss the entire 2026-27 campaign.
Michigan is No. 5 in ESPN’s most recent Way-Too-Early Top 25.
“You couldn’t ask for a better person to lead Michigan basketball,” May said. “Mike has poured everything he has into this program from the day he got here. He’s an outstanding coach, an even better person, and our players believe in him because they see the work he puts in every single day. I’m incredibly proud of him and excited for Mike, Jen, Ace and Zoe. There’s nobody more deserving of this opportunity, and I know he’ll do an outstanding job leading this program.”
Prior to joining May’s staff, Boynton was the head coach at Oklahoma State for seven seasons. He led the Cowboys to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2021, with future No. 1 NBA draft pick Cade Cunningham leading the way. Boynton has also spent time as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin, South Carolina, Wofford and Coastal Carolina.
