Mike Boynton helped the Michigan basketball program make the best out of a bad situation, and his reward is a two-year deal to be the Wolverines' next head coach.
It's official. The interim tag has been removed.
The announcement comes one day after the Wolverines locked up Quinn Costello, which essentially guarantees that all 14 players on the team when Dusty May left for the Dallas Mavericks will stay and play for Michigan basketball next season.
L.J. Cason is the only player who hasn't announced his return, or had it reported, but the rising junior recovering from an ACL injury is expected back, too.
Some Michigan basketball fans wanted Boynton to coach the entire season with the interim tag. Some didn't want him considered, regardless of what the team achieved. That wasn't sensible, though, or usually the way the University of Michigan operates.
Why Mike Boynton makes sense on a two-year deal as Michigan head coach
Boytnon did an incredible job keeping the roster together. It was an impossible take. He had help, surely, but he played a major role in achieving that.
This move also makes the best out of a bad situation. There is nothing ideal about losing your head coach in June. It could have been a death blow for next season. Instead, the Wolverines have a top-5 roster, and a head coach who is better than some have given him credit for.
Boynton had three 20-win seasons at Oklahoma State. He signed Cade Cunningham, won an NCAA Tournament game, and coached the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, has had multiple players reach the NBA, and had three seasons with top-20 defenses according to Kenpom.
The man can coach. Is he Dusty May? No.
There is only one Dusty May, which is why the Mavericks made the move to get him. As painful as it was, it would have hurt 10 times as much if the Wolverines didn't just cut down the nets.
Now, the team has a legit chance to make a run at a national championship this season. Boynton being given a two-year deal, outside of making it easier to hire assistants and recruit, is essentially the same as being the interim head coach, at least as far as long-term security is concerned.
If Michigan misses the NCAA Tournament, then Boynton would probably be out of a job. So the stakes are the same; Warde Manuel just made the task a little easier. He also gave the players something they desperately needed: clarity.
Now, the focus turns to the 2026-27 season. Finally.
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