Michigan Coach Dusty May Wins Prestigious Award

The Wolverines' head coach has compiled a 58-13 record in two years in Ann Arbor

Mar 18, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May answers questions during the press conference prior to their practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Last week, Michigan basketball head coach Dusty May was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media.

Now, May has another accolade for the work he has done with the program this season as it was announced that he has been named the 2025-26 recipient of the Henry Iba Award as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Men's National Coach of the Year.

Coach May is the 2026 recipient of the Henry Iba Award as the USBWA Men’s National Coach of the Year! 👏#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/CmR9vph7pz

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) March 18, 2026

May, according to the press release from the USBWA, will be honored at an awards dinner hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on April 16, along with the Oscar Robinson Trophy and Wayman Tisdale Award winners as the men's national player and freshman of the year.

The second-year head coach at Michigan has guided the Wolverines to a 31-3 record, a Big Ten regular season title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The No. 1 seed earned by Michigan was the fourth in program history and the first since 2021.

In two seasons in Ann Arbor, May has posted a 58-13 record and became the fastest coach in program history to reach 50 wins, doing so in just 61 games.

He is the third Michigan coach to be named the USBWA National Coach of the year, joining Juwan Howard (2020-21) and Johnny Orr (1975-76).

May will lead Michigan on Thursday night when the Wolverines take on No. 16 seed Howard in Buffalo for a 7 p.m. EST tipoff.

Michigan head coach Dusty May reacts to a play against Purdue during the first half of Big Ten Tournament final at United Center in Chicago on Sunday, March 15, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

About the Henry Iba Award

The Henry Iba Award is named in honor of the legendary Oklahoma State coach and has been presented annually since 1959 to the nation's top Division I basketball coach.

In his career, Iba won two NCAA championships and two gold medals and one silver as coach of the U. S. Olympic teams. Iba held the dual position of basketball coach and athletic director until he retired in 1970. He was elected to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the Missouri Hall of Fame, the Helms Foundation All-Time Hall of Fame for basketball, and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at Springfield, Mass. Iba passed away in 1993.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball.

St. Johns coach Rick Pitino won the award last year, with Houston's Kelvin Sampson taking the honor in the 2023-24 season.

James King waves to the crowd as players of Coach Henry Iba are introduced during half time at the college basketball game between Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Texas Longhorns at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. OSU won 64-51. Osu V Texas | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK