Dusty May Answers the Wolverines

Michigan head coach Dusty May sat down with Rich the morning after a late-night NCAA Tournament run and delivered the answer every Wolverines fan had been waiting to hear.

May was running on about an hour and 15 minutes of sleep. His phone sat at 1,014 unread texts when he walked out of the locker room the night before. He tried to knock out a few on the walk, then gave up, because every reply seemed to pull in two more.

The conversation turned personal quickly. Rich asked about the moment May shared with his wife. May didn't skip past it. Her career as an occupational therapist is the only reason he was able to coach in the first place, he said. She carried the family through the early years when entry-level coaching pay wasn't pay at all. He credited her with making him a better man and a better coach. He described himself as the edgier one by nature. Her demeanor, he said, rubbed off.

The kids are 24, 22, and 20. May said the quiet moment after a big night always comes with a strange sadness, knowing he won't see Will Cheddar, Namari, Yakel, and the other guys in the gym the next morning. The journey ends for some of them. The coach's brain, he admitted, immediately jumps to the transfer portal and getting back to Detroit next year. He doesn't love that about himself, but it's honest.

Then Rich asked the question. With the portal open year-round, the one name every program is terrified of seeing in there is Dusty May. Where do things stand.

May's answer was clear. Michigan fans have nothing to worry about. His son Eli is a sophomore at the University of Michigan, and May said he can't see any scenario where he pulls his son away from graduating at a place that finally feels like home. The May family moved around a lot when the boys were young. Ann Arbor is where they've settled. He said they're honored to represent the program, and that if there's ever a point where he feels he can't get it done at Michigan, that will be the moment he leaves. Short of that, he believes the Wolverines can be consistent national championship contenders.

The coaching market around college basketball has never been more volatile. Every Sweet 16 run triggers a round of speculation about which program is about to lose its coach to a bigger job or a bigger check. May knows that. He also knows how quickly the landscape can shift. His message to Michigan fans was deliberate.

He loves it at Michigan. He's proud to represent the program. And until the day comes that he can't get it done there, the only place he plans to be is Ann Arbor building a roster for next year.

For a fan base that spent the entire postseason bracing for bad news, that was the answer they needed.