Michigan AD says Dusty May has agreed on deal to stay Wolverines coach 'for many years to come'

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan coach Dusty May has agreed on a deal that will have him continuing to lead the Wolverines “for many years to come,” athletic director Warde Manuel said Saturday.

Manuel made the comment during a ceremony celebrating Michigan’s NCAA Tournament championship.

“Dusty and I have already reached an agreement,” Manuel said in a remark that resulted in a standing ovation as well as chants of “Dusty!” from the crowd that had gathered at the Crisler Center.

Manuel then finished his comment.

“And he will be the leader of this basketball team for many years to come,” Manuel said.

The 49-year-old May led Michigan to a national title in his second season on the job after inheriting a program that went 8-24 the year before his arrival. Michigan went 37-3 this season and earned its first national title since 1989 by beating UConn 69-63 in the NCAA Tournament championship game.

He had been mentioned as a potential target for North Carolina, which hired former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone on Tuesday to replace the fired Hubert Davis.

“It’s been an honor for two years to represent all of you and to be called Coach by these guys,” May said during Saturday's ceremony. “Anytime you have a group come together and you feel like they gave you so much more than you could ever give them, it melts you. These guys did it for each other. They did it for the staff. They did it for all of you, and they did it for all the right reasons — with class, with great effort and support for each other. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”

May owns an overall coaching record of 190-82. He went 126-69 at Florida Atlantic from 2018-24 and led the Owls to a 2023 Final Four appearance before going 64-13 at Michigan the last two seasons.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball