© Kylie Graham-USA TODAY Sports
Getting To Know Michigan Basketball Assistant Coach Mike Boynton Jr.
Dusty May is rounding out his coaching staff with former Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton Jr.
Now that Dusty May is in charge of the Michigan basketball squad, the U-M head coach has the unique opportunity to build his program on a foundational level, and he’s assembling his coaching staff piece by piece, starting with the coaching staff.
Although coach May is yet to make a formal announcement on new hires, several details point to former Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton Jr joining the Wolverines staff. On Friday, April 10, Boynton tweeted out a message proclaiming that his time in Ann Arbor had begun.
Leading Oklahoma State as its head coach over the past seven seasons, Boynton was recently fired after posting a 119-109 record in Stillwater. During that timeframe, Boynton reached the NCAA Tournament once in 2021 with a team of Cowboys led by eventual No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft— Cade Cunningham.
Apart from that season, Boynton experienced middling degrees of success in the Big 12, but he has received plaudits for his recruiting chops. Cunningham, who was the No. 1 prospect coming out of high school, is the crown jewel in Boynton’s recruiting background, though he’s listed as a secondary recruiter for the blue chip guard. Cunningham’s older brother, Cannen, was an assistant for Oklahoma State and is listed as the primary recruiter for Cade. Oklahoma State’s 2020 recruiting class also featured small forward Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, who was a top-75 recruit nationally in his own right.
READ MORE: Dusty May, Michigan Basketball Linked To Another Quality Transfer Portal Hooper
So, Boynton has a track record of landing talented prospects and is an experienced former head coach of a large program, which helps make this a strong hire for coach May. However, the move may have been facilitated by a favorable Oklahoma State buyout. According to Pokes Report, Oklahoma State Athletic Director Mike Holder has agreed to pay Boynton 2.2 million dollars annually over the next four years. If this is accurate, it could allow Michigan to land coach Boynton on a more school-friendly deal since he will already be compensated by his former Big 12 employer.
Although Boynton’s time at Oklahoma State may not have produced abject highs and championship banners, he did experience relative success throughout his seven-year stretch. According to the Oklahoma State website, Boynton led the Cowboys to 23 victories against top-25 schools and 11 wins over top-10 teams. Boynton harnessed his team's defensive ability, particularly in the shot blocking department, when punching above its weight class for Oklahoma State.
During that tenure, Boynton was tabbed as a coach within the USA Basketball umbrella thanks to his team’s stingy defenses and his player development techniques. This is what the USA Basketball website had to say about the new Michigan assistant:
“Mike Boynton Jr. served as an assistant coach for the 2023 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team which claimed fourth place at the FIBA Men's U19 World Cup last summer. He previously helped as an assistant with the 2022 Men’s U18 National Team who claimed gold at the FIBA Americas U18 Men’s Championship the prior summer.
His previous experience with USA Basketball dates to his services as a court coach for U19 National Team training camp in Fort Worth, Texas.”
Prior to starting his coaching career, Boynton was a longtime point guard for South Carolina where he moved into a starting role as an upperclassman. Eventually, Boynton finished in the school’s top 10 for three-pointers made (125) and capped off his collegiate career with an NCAA Tournament appearance, losing to a John Calipari-coached Memphis outfit in the first round.
What do you think of Boynton’s addition to Dusty May’s coaching staff? Let us know and follow @EricJRutter on Twitter for more Wolverine Digest updates.
