Mike Boynton Operating As Michigan Basketball's New HC, Wants Interim Tag Removed

Speaking with The Athletic recently, Boynton says he is running things like he is going to become the new head coach.

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Just months after winning the national title, and days after appearing on The Field of 68 to discuss his new Michigan roster, Dusty May is out at Michigan and is the new coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

Following the stunning news that took place a week ago, Michigan opted to place the interim tag on assistant coach Mike Boynton. So far, Michigan has been able to keep its two star guards for the 2026-27 season, with both Trey McKenney and Elliot Cadeau coming back to play next season.

While Boynton is hard at work trying to retain the roster that May and Co. assembled in hopes of going back-to-back, the Wolverines' basketball job remains in limbo. Athletic Director Warde Manuel gave a statement regarding May's exit and Boynton's interim tag. But Manuel's wording was key.

"With summer workouts starting this week, Mike Boynton has been appointed head coach in an interim capacity."

Boynton wants the interim tag removed

'Interim capacity' is the key. Michigan, after winning the national title, should be a sought-after position, and the Wolverines could go on a national search at any minute. But giving Boynton the keys for at least one season and seeing how he runs the ship might make the most sense in terms of roster construction.

And speaking to The Athletic recently, Boynton wants Michigan to understand that keeping the interim tag might cause more damage in the long run.

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“I’m operating as if I’m going to be the coach,” Boynton told The Athletic. “I’m certainly going to try to make sure they understand that (keeping the interim tag) will create a different set of challenges.”

And in terms of recruiting, he's right. Michigan just signed the No. 2 class in the 2026 cycle, headlined by five-star guard Brandon McCoy Jr., who Boynton has to make sure he retains. The Wolverines have recruited well under May, but if there is an interim tag looming large, it's going to be challenging to get kids to commit to a coach they have no idea if he will be there after this season.

Boynton knows what it takes to lead a program

However, if you're in Manuel's shoes, you want the best coach for the job. Is that Boynton? He believes so.

Boynton was the head coach at Oklahoma State for seven seasons, recruiting at a high clip. He was able to land Cade Cunningham during his time with the Cowboys, but in his seven seasons, Boynton went 119-109 and made just one NCAA Tournament.

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However, with Boynton sitting beside May, who was arguably the best coach at the collegiate level, he believes he has become a better coach. Between learning beside May and having seven seasons of experience, and knowing how to recruit, Boynton believes he would be set up for success in Ann Arbor.

“I’ve done the job," Boynton said. "I may not have done the job at Michigan, but I’ve been a successful coach at this level. I’ve sat there with Dusty, and the system is kind of set in place, but the best way to give everybody stability is to just not be worried about how long this is going to be and just go for it.”

Running the system the way it is

Another feather in Boynton's cap is the fact that he just saw Michigan win a national title and he wouldn't change anything up. Granted, Dusty May wouldn't be on the sideline calling plays or motivating the team, but Boynton was right beside him and he saw how impactful May's system was in Ann Arbor.

Speaking to Andy Katz at the NBA Draft, Boynton said he wouldn't change anything up as long as he's running the show at Michigan.

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“We’ll continue to play the system that we played the last couple years with Dusty," said Boynton. "We’ll play a lot through our ones and fives. Our wings will be dynamic playmakers and shooters, and we’ll continue to put guys in position to succeed as a team, but also to do what Morez, Aday and Yax are going to do tonight, walk across the stage, shake Adam Silver’s hand, hear the name called, and live out their NBA dreams.”

With Elliot Cadeau coming back next season, Boynton's main objective is to retain the bigs. Keeping transfer big men Moustapha Thiam and JP Estrella is crucial in order to run May's system effectively. A lead guard and a couple of bigs who can run the court will give Michigan a fighter's chance again next season.