Eat you heart out rival fans, Dusty May is a national champion.
Just two years after Michigan basketball had an 8-24 record, May, in his second season as the head coach of the Wolverines, became just the fifth coach to ever win a national championship in his second season as a head coach with a program.
It wasn't easy. Michigan gutted out a 69-63 win over UConn. The Huskies turned the game into a dogfight, but the Wolverines were elite on defense, and made just enough free throws to win the game.
DUSTY MAY WINS IT ALL IN ONLY HIS SECOND YEAR AS MICHIGAN’S HEAD COACH 😤
— ESPN (@espn) April 7, 2026
He’s just the fifth coach in NCAA history to become a champion in his first two seasons at a school 👏 pic.twitter.com/Cp1jt1rT1s
There weren't many mid-range jumpers for Michigan, and just two made 3-pointers. It wasn't the kind of basketball you think of when thinking about May, but defense wins championships.
That's a lesson Michigan taught us again on Monday night. The Wolverines had the best defensive team. They did a better job of taking care of the ball, and also made their free throws.
It wasn't a beauty contest, but Michigan fans don't care
After four consecutive national title game losses, Michigan fans were desperate for that 37-year national championship drought to end.
The key to making that happen was holding UConn to 31 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range. Even at the end of the game, Michigan shut the door with two defensive stops.
It was a game Tom Izzo would have been proud of. Now, Spartan fans have to watch the Wolverines celebrate their national title, and with the No. 3 recruiting class coming in, plus the prospect of lottery picks coming back, Michigan isn't going anywhere.
And Dusty May might not be done winning national championships.