Dusty May and assistant coaches, setting Michigan culture

After a large outflow of players from last season, it’s easy to get caught up with the 11 newcomers that joined the Michigan men’s basketball team’s roster during the offseason. With a combination of freshman recruits and transfer-portal pulls, Wolverines coach Dusty May made it clear that his intention was to set an immediate high standard by bringing in a new-look lineup.

“(May) keeps setting (high) standards, and that’s something that he doesn’t go back on,” graduate center Vlad Goldin said at Big Ten Media Days Thursday. “He always says as soon as we set those standards, we do not go lower than them.”

It’s not just the players and May maintaining the standard, though, another key factor will be the role of the new assistant coaches. In the offseason, May completely revamped the Wolverines’ assistant coaching staff with multiple experienced and well-versed coaches. 

Among the assistant coaches brought in during the spring were Mike Boynton Jr., Akeem Miskdeen and Justin Joyner, all picked up within 18 days of May’s hiring. Now, with practices in full swing and the Wolverines’ first game in less than a month, the coaches are all hands on deck — and even in the gym. 

“We’d be doing 5-on-0, and then 5-on-5, and the coaches would be guarding us,” junior forward Danny Wolf said. “We have such a young staff. … When we’re lifting at 7:30 they’re in there with us. … It’s a competitive edge, and we end practice pretty much every day with rebounding drills where we have to box the coaches out. They get after it, and they love being physical with us.” 

By joining the ranks during practice and in the weight room, the coaching staff is helping establish a much-needed culture as the program saw a bulk of its roster and staff depart after last season. And when it comes to in-game preparation, May has allocated different duties to certain coaches based on their prior experiences. 

Miskdeen worked under May as an assistant at Florida Atlantic from 2018 to 2021 and it’s no different at Michigan. May spends the majority of his time on the offensive scheme alongside Miskdeen and assistant coach and director of player development Drew Williamson. With Miskdeen and May’s prior connection, both understand the offensive schemes and team culture implemented with the Owls that they hope to bring to the Wolverines.

The group anticipates using a fast-paced offense — similar to how they operated at FAU — that emphasizes a quicker transition offense rather than setting up a half-court offensive set on each possession. In a Michigan roster likely without one true star that will lead the team in scoring night-in and night-out, a pro-style offense is much more conducive to give the rock to whoever is hot.

“He wants to get up and down, wants to go,” Wolf said. “I think it’s going to be a very pro-style offense. … It’s really free flowing. And if one thing doesn’t work, you get to the next.”

Defensively, May has multiple coaches that can balance his and Miskdeen’s offensive mindset.

“Coach Boynton is running our defense, and he works directly with coach Joyner and (assistant coach and general manager Kyle) Church,” May said. “They’ll head up most of the scouting as far as the opponent’s patterns and sets in place and whatnot.”

Boynton and Joyner bring an abundance of experience that should balance the offensive efforts. Boynton most recently served as the head coach for Oklahoma State for seven years until 2024; meanwhile Joyner worked as an assistant at Saint Mary’s for the last seven seasons before entertaining head coaching and assistant positions alike this offseason. 

While neither Boynton nor Joyner have worked with May before, Church is entering his 12th season working with May and will serve as a connecting piece for May and the Wolverines’ defense during the early stages.

Establishing a team culture and mentality through practice has been crucial, especially under a new coaching regime. These connections and relationships set in the first offseason need to set the foundation for May’s reign at Michigan.

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