For the second time in three years, Michigan has lost a head coach shortly after winning a National Championship, one in football and one in basketball. The departure of Jim Harbaugh to the NFL made a little more sense with the Connor Stallions scandal, but Dusty May leaving mere months after a championship with the Wolverines, and only two seasons under his belt, definitely hurt.
To make matters worse, the extension that was promised by athletic director Warde Manuel to May after winning the title was never actually signed. That meant that May didn't have to pay nearly as much as he would have for leaving Michigan earlier than his intended contract. However, it's the fact that Manuel failed to close extensions with both May and Harbaugh, even after winning championships.
Illinois athletic director threw some shade at Michigan and Manuel with a recent comment on making sure he gets his coaches paid after successful seasons. Illinois just recently made sure to get basketball coach Brad Underwood paid after leading the Illini to a Final Four appearance. It wasn't just Underwood that got paid; multiple assistants saw increases as well.
"Taking care of the coaches is an essential part of my job," Whitman said. "When we have success, we never want to put them in a position for them to ask for things. We want them to feel supported and valued."
“Taking care of the coaches is an essential part of my job. When we have success, we never want to put them in a position for them to ask for things. We want them to feel supported and valued,” said Whitman. https://t.co/ijuTe4KSYq
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) June 27, 2026
Josh Whitman's shade for Warde Manuel isn't totally unwarranted
Whitman didn't specifically name Manuel in his shade-throwing, but it is pretty clear that Michigan was his intended target. Michigan is the only team, as of late, to not actually pay their head coach after a wildly successful season, so Whitman's shade hit its mark exactly as it was intended.
Honestly, Michigan fans can't really disagree with the shade, though, as Manuel was the one who dropped the ball on this. Sure, they can be upset with May choosing to leave, but a better offer came along, and it was one he couldn't refuse.
May passed on a lot of offers from other colleges, so his loyalty to the Wolverines was strong, but when an NBA offer comes along, how does one pass that up? May also alluded to not loving the state of college basketball right now, even flat out saying there are things he won't miss about the collegiate sport.
Illinois may not have had the success that Michigan did this past season, but the Illini made it to the Final Four, and with a solid returning roster, along with Underwood happy with his extension, could be one of the biggest Big Ten threats next season. Michigan, on the other hand, is working with an interim coach, but does at least have the roster May built returning in full.
Manuel should really look into taking a page out of Whitman's book and figuring out how to reward successful coaches, or else Michigan will always be on the hunt for a new head coach every couple of years.
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