Michael Cohen
School Soccer and School Basketball Author
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A big crowd crammed the Junge Household Champions Heart on Tuesday afternoon as former Florida Atlantic head coach Dusty Might was formally launched as Michigan’s successor to Juwan Howard, who was fired earlier this month after 5 seasons answerable for his alma mater. There have been media members from shops throughout the state and representatives of the Wolverines’ pupil part bedecked in sport day apparel. There have been leftover members of Howard’s workers and a smattering of head coaches from different sports activities throughout the campus, together with newly minted soccer coach Sherrone Moore.
Noticeably absent, nevertheless, was something resembling a roster. Will Tschetter, Jace Howard (the son of Juwan Howard) and George Washington III gave the impression to be the one basketball gamers in attendance, with the latter having already entered the switch portal. The arresting fact is that there actually wasn’t anybody else who might have joined them — such is the state of Michigan’s program after the 2023-24 season thudded to a halt with an general report of 8-24 and a 3-17 mark in convention play. No staff in program historical past had misplaced extra video games in a single yr.
An exodus quickly adopted: Howard was fired on March 15; this system’s finest recruit, four-star prospect Khani Rooths, decommitted from Michigan on March 18; 4 gamers entered the switch portal by March 20, headlined by level guard and main scorer Dug McDaniel (16.3 factors, 4.7 assists per sport). There are situations the place the Wolverines might have as many as 10 open scholarships within the coming weeks, if no more, relying on which gamers select to remain and which gamers Might desires to maintain.
“Now we have a variety of work to do with roster improvement and roster development,” Might stated. “It is too early to be particular proper now as a result of I do not know what all of them are pondering.”
Repeatedly, the 47-year-old Might uttered completely different variations of that response throughout his introductory information convention when reporters peppered him with questions on each his short- and long-term plans to rebuild Michigan, a program that reached the Closing 4 as just lately as 2018 however now feels lightyears faraway from something of the type. One of many largest challenges Might faces is cobble collectively a roster that may be aggressive subsequent season with out compromising the year-over-year development he is aiming to attain. That is a really slim needle to string.
It is seemingly that Might was extra forthcoming throughout an in-person interview with the Michigan contingent that flew to Fort Lauderdale the day after Florida Atlantic misplaced within the opening spherical of the NCAA Event final week. Manuel, who additionally spoke at Tuesday’s occasion, informed reporters that Might had been his No. 1 goal because the search started in earnest final week. The 2 sides reached an settlement fewer than 24 hours after the Owls’ airplane landed in Florida following a heartbreaking defeat to Northwestern. Quickly after, Might signed a five-year contract price a reported $3.75 million per yr.
“I do not know the way many individuals we known as all collectively to speak about Dusty and get some info,” Manuel stated. “Usually in each search I’ve ever performed, you hear one thing destructive. Some difficulty arose, someone did not assume he dealt with it proper, or they did not assume they dealt with this student-athlete proper or this staff proper. Nothing. Every little thing was optimistic.”
With a lot about Michigan’s instant future nonetheless unclear, Might spent the vast majority of his information convention outlining an general imaginative and prescient for this system, which he stated ought to resume competing for Large Ten championships and nationwide championships.
He defined his recruiting technique as an adaptable components that may embrace the whole lot from highschool prospects and switch portal signees to junior faculty recruits and gamers from abroad. He described his involvement in NIL and fundraising efforts as a big a part of the job that may occupy anyplace from “25% to 30% of my time.” He summarized his most well-liked model of basketball as an up-tempo and analytically-driven offense with an progressive and unpredictable protection, the totality of which needs to be simple on the eyes as a result of, in Might’s phrases, “We additionally need to put followers within the seats.” It is a aim that may require important effort after back-to-back ugly seasons.
“While you watch us play,” Might stated, “it is best to see teamwork, it is best to see effectivity on each side of the basketball. Our identification will likely be teamwork, ardour and togetherness. The main points will work themselves out. We’ll determine that out later. Watching Michigan basketball will likely be pleasurable.”
And it is a aim Might stated he intends to perform instantly, in Yr 1, even with out understanding what kind of roster he’ll be teaching come November. He bristled when requested about putting a stability between fielding a aggressive staff in his debut season, which might seemingly require an inflow of graduate transfers and different veterans with dwindling eligibility, and utilizing the 2024-25 marketing campaign as an incubator for what he desires this system to turn into over time. The concept of limping via his first yr as little greater than a Large Ten doormat was a notion Might refused to even take into account.
However the particulars of how he plans to keep away from that destiny have been scarce when Might was requested about it in a wide range of methods on Tuesday afternoon. Might admitted that he does not have all of the solutions simply but. How properly he threads the needle within the coming months will likely be a harbinger for his long-term success.
“There will not be some extent the place we simply throw within the towel and say, ‘We’re not going to be aggressive this yr as a result of it is Yr 1,'” Might stated. “We need to win, and we would like to have the ability to promote that going ahead.”
Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and basketball for FOX Sports activities with an emphasis on the Large Ten. Comply with him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.
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