Michigan basketball head coach search is about to pick up
The NCAA tournament was always going to have an impact on the search for a new Michigan basketball head coach. Most of the top candidates had a team playing in the tournament but they started dropping out like flies on Thursday and Friday.
Dusty May was the latest to be knocked out on Friday. His team blew a late lead to Northwestern and he can start listening to pitches from Louisville, Michigan basketball and West Virginia. Those are schools with reported interest.
May seems like one of the favorites but he might be a better fit at Louisville. Darian DeVries of Drake also makes a lot of sense. A solid case could be made for Niko Medved of Colorado State too.
All three of those coaches and their teams were knocked out of the first round of the NCAA tournament. Amir Abdur-Rahim of South Florida is another name gaining steam. His team is also out of the NIT, so one way or another, we should see some movement soon.
The John Calipari to Michigan basketball rumors might start to pick up speed, although that should be the last thing any Michigan fan wants. Without high-end talent, Calipari can't coach his way out of a paper bag.
My personal favorite is Drake head coach Darian DeVries. He's put together a bunch of 20-wins season. He's never won fewer than 20 games and in his four of his six seasons with the Bulldogs they have made the NCAA tournament or won a conference championship.
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There also seems to be mutual interest. I like that he's from the Dana Altman coaching tree and while I would be happy with May too, DeVries is my guy. I hope that Michigan basketball feels the same way and the truth is, there is no sure-fire candidate. But my hope is that the Wolverines make a move quickly and start building their roster for the 2024-25 season.