The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2026 BY CHRIS BALAS D usty May's sudden depar- ture for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks in June — just months after leading the Wolverines to an NCAA championship — could have left Michigan basketball in a lurch. Fortunately for U-M fans, May left a great roster behind in Ann Arbor and — as importantly — some outstanding basketball minds behind to continue the work. Mike Boynton, a seven-year head coach at Oklahoma State and May's right-hand man the last two seasons, takes over the reins at U-M with high hopes and optimism. We caught up with Boynton recently for this preseason Q&A: The Wolverine: You lost freshman Brandon McCoy to a knee injury during a summer playing trip in Europe, and he's had the successful surgery. Most importantly, how's he doing coping with the setback? Mike Boynton: "He's doing okay. I talked to him [recently]. … Obviously, he's disappointed in the injury as any- body would be. I think he's kind of ac- cepted that this is the reality, so now he focuses on how to approach the recov- ery and rehab. He's eager to get back and play again. "He ended up with a better mindset, probably, than most people would. He's a resilient kid. So, we're happy for that." The Wolverine: How do you replace his talent in the lineup going forward? Boynton: "There are a lot of moving parts here [with veteran Roddy Gayle Jr. and Columbia transfer Kenny Noland filing lawsuits to get fifth years]. We've got that element. But we also have an element of the guys who are already here and available — guys like [junior] Oscar Goodman and [sophomore] Ricky Liburd were expected to have a more significant role for the team this year. These are guys you hope are ready to step up and answer the bell. "Then, we have a couple other fresh- men that are capable. Maybe they didn't have as high expectations as Bran- don did, but they certainly were good enough to come here and be part of this team. Joe Hartman, Malachi Brown to a little lesser degree … our guys will all just have to be a little more invested in trying to expedite their development." The Wolverine: What's it meant for you to have the support and vote of con- fidence from Dusty and the players? Boynton: "Dusty's been awesome. Obviously, I owe him a debt of gratitude, first of all, for bringing me here. He had a chance to build his entire staff when he first took the job, and he had the con- fidence to hire me and then give me a lot of responsibility in how we played. He gave me autonomy over how we built our defense, but he also helped me grow AN ERA BEGINS Mike Boynton Embraces The Challenge Of Leading Michigan Basketball Boynton takes over the reins of the Michigan basketball program after two seasons as an assis- tant coach under Dusty May. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY