Michigan Sports

Boynton takes reins for nat’l champion Wolverines

Michigan’s national title defense represents a second chance for new Wolverines coach Mike Boynton.

Boynton coached Oklahoma State to a 119-109 record and one NCAA Tournament berth over seven seasons but got fired after a 12-20 finish in 2023-24. He spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach on Dusty May’s staff at Michigan.

When May left to coach the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks after the Wolverines’ national championship season, Michigan initially made Boynton interim head coach and then signed him to a two-year contract.

Boynton says his experience working with May has made him a better coach.

“The last two years have been sort of like a sabbatical for me,” Boynton told reporters during Big Ten media days. “I’m sitting next to this genius every day learning how to run a high-functioning corporation, how to identify great qualities in people specific to your needs as a basketball team and allow them to be great in those areas, how to delegate responsibilities, and how every day to show up and be even.”

Michigan’s transition after winning the NCAA Tournament represented the biggest move of the offseason coaching carousel.

Some other notable moves include Casey Alexander coming to Kansas State after stints at Stetson, Lipscomb and Belmont; Will Wade back for a second time at LSU; Michael Malone at North Carolina after being head coach with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets; Justin Gainey at North Carolina State who once captained the Wolfpack as a player; and Gerry McNamara at Syracuse, another former player back at his alma mater.