Dusty May Just Turned Down North Carolina and the Timing Is Everything
Dusty May is staying put at Michigan, and he made it crystal clear on Sunday that no other job, including North Carolina's, is getting a second glance. ESPN reported that the 49-year-old informed Michigan officials he would not be a candidate for the Tarheels coaching search or anywhere else. This comes after Arizona's Tommy Lloyd got locked down with a massive contract extension on Friday, which sparked wild speculation that UNC would pivot straight to May. Instead, May doubled down on his commitment to the Wolverines, and honestly, the timing of this statement hits different when you look at what just went down.
The Michigan Run Is Real
May has the Wolverines sitting at 36-3 heading into Monday's NCAA Championship Game against UConn. That's not a typo. In his second season in Ann Arbor, he took them to the Sweet 16 a year ago and now he has them one win away from a national title. His buyout is $7 million, which tells you exactly how locked in Michigan is to keeping him around. When you're that close to cutting down nets, why would you even think about leaving?
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiNorth Carolina's Window Is Closing Fast
Here's the pressure UNC is feeling right now. The Tarheels fired Hubert Davis on March 24 and the transfer portal opens on Tuesday. That's a brutal deadline hanging over their head. They went after Lloyd hard until he got that deal done with Arizona on Friday. Then May was next on the radar. Now both of those guys are off the board. Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger and Alabama's Nate Oats have also publicly removed themselves from consideration in recent days. Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan and Vanderbilt's Mark Byington are among other reported candidates still being considered.
May addressed the noise on Friday before the Wolverines absolutely dismantled Arizona 91-73 on Saturday in what turned out to be a one-sided championship game preview. "After last year, I decided that I'll never, ever respond to any job speculation," May said. "I think it's well-documented how happy I am at Michigan. Obviously, my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important."
Message received. Michigan gets to stay focused on Monday night. North Carolina keeps searching. That's the story.
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