College Basketball: Boynton Steps Into Michigan Title Defense

Mike Boynton now holds the keys to the Michigan basketball program that won the national championship. The university signed the former head coach to a two-year deal following the departure of Dusty May, who left for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

Boynton spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant on May's staff. Before that, he coached Oklahoma State for seven seasons. His record at the Cowboys was 119 wins and 109 losses. He also earned one NCAA Tournament berth during that tenure. The 2023-24 season ended with a 12-20 record and his dismissal. He joined the Wolverines afterward and remained on the staff through the title run.

The university first named him interim head coach after May's exit. They then formalized his position with the two-year contract. Boynton spoke about his growth during a press conference at Big Ten media days. He described the past two years as a sabbatical of sorts. He said he learned how to run a high-functioning corporation by sitting next to a genius. He also noted how May identifies qualities in people specific to team needs. He added that he learned how to delegate responsibilities and show up every day to be even.

The coaching change at Michigan was the most prominent move in the 2025-26 offseason. Other major conferences and independent schools also made changes. Jerome Tang was fired at Kansas State after going 45-47 over three seasons. He had gone 26-10 and reached a regional final in his first year. Casey Alexander now coaches the Wildcats. Alexander holds a 303-180 career record. He coached at Stetson, Lipscomb, and Belmont over 15 years.

Will Wade returned to Louisiana State University for a second stint. He was previously fired in 2022 after the NCAA cited him for recruiting violations. Matt McMahon succeeded him but was let go after going 60-70 in four seasons. Wade had a 105-51 record during his first tenure at LSU. He also led McNeese and North Carolina State to NCAA Tournament appearances. North Carolina State hired Justin Gainey as its first-time head coach. Gainey was a former Wolfpack captain and most recently worked on Rick Barnes' staff at Tennessee.

The North Carolina Tar Heels hired Michael Malone. Malone had no prior ties to the program and no college head coaching experience. He went 510-394 as an NBA coach from 2013 to 2025. He won a championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. He replaces Hubert Davis, who went 125-54 in five years. Davis led the Tar Heels to the 2022 championship game.

Syracuse hired Gerry McNamara to return to his alma mater. McNamara holds the Orange's career records for three-point baskets and minutes played. He led Siena to a 23-12 record and an NCAA appearance last season. He replaces Adrian Autry, who was fired after going 49-48 with no tournament bids in three seasons.

On the women's side, Pauline Love returned to Alabama as head coach. She was an assistant there in 2024-25 under Kristy Curry, who left for South Florida. Love went 245-173 in 13 seasons as Alabama's head coach before her first stint ended. She was an assistant at Oklahoma last season.