Dusty May Aims for Michigan Basketball to Lead Big Ten in NIL
Michigan basketball coach Dusty May shared his ambitions for the program in a recent interview with The Michigan Insider, emphasizing the goal to become the premier NIL basketball program in the Big Ten. Reflecting on his initial months in Ann Arbor, May discussed challenges, his interactions with players and staff, and the support he received from former Michigan coach John Beilein.
Dusty May Overcoming Recruitment Misconceptions
May addressed misconceptions about Michigan’s recruitment difficulties, noting that while the school has certain constraints, “the positives certainly outweigh any negatives” at the university. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the pool of recruits who are eager to join Michigan despite potential hurdles.
Sam Webb: “I remember you saying when you got ready to take the job, and you met with Coach Beilein as you were finalizing the process with Warde (Manuel), you were kind of (wondering), ‘hey, is this a place that you can really succeed, achieve, and thrive?’ And you said you found out (from Beilein) that a lot of what you were hearing were roadblocks weren’t really roadblocks. Now that you’re here, you can kind of distinguish what’s a roadblock from what’s a hill or a bump? Do you have a feel for what the actual roadblocks are now versus what are just bumps in the road? “
Dusty May: “Yeah. From my very first conversation with Warde, Doug (Gnodtke), and the search firm, I felt they put most of it at ease. But they also work here, they recruit (like) we recruit… and so you’re always putting forth your best foot. But from the beginning it wasn’t as if I heard these rumors and whatnot and was scared of the job, because I knew that the positives certainly outweigh any negatives at the University of Michigan. And in every job, there are obviously pros and there are cons. And so then just meeting with Coach Beilein and being assured that he never faced any of those obstacles… and some of the obstacles aren’t really obstacles. I equate it to this… one of the assistants that worked for Coach Knight years ago told me that, ‘obviously, recruiting for Coach Knight was difficult because he was never going to put on a special front. He was going to be who he was every single day, and he was going to make the most out of everyone.’ So, the pool was small. But they also said that in that pool, most of those guys want to play for Coach Knight. And it’s a little bit like that, where yes, we do have some constraints and restrictions on who we can bring to this great institution. But typically, those that do cross that hurdle, they want to come here, they want to play here, and they want to go to Michigan. So once again, we decide to see the positives in those things and not look at them as negatives. And obviously with every job in the country there are some bumps, and you navigate those bumps. You learn the culture and how things are done at that place, and you adjust accordingly.”
Advancing in the NIL Space
May is optimistic about Michigan’s progress in the NIL space, noting, “Our goal is to be the best NIL basketball program in the Big 10. We’re not there yet, but we’re moving closer.” Despite starting later than other programs, he expressed confidence in the direction and efforts put forth by his team and supporters.
Sam Webb: “Yeah, what I’ve noticed in talking to recruits of late is there is one (common) perception that is being kind of knocked out of the park… this idea that Michigan is lagging from an NIL standpoint. If you talk to recruits who are coming on visits and who are talking to the actual coaches, they’re like, ‘look, I can have NIL success at Michigan, too.’ Is that something that you’re encountering now… where that misconception is kind of going away?”
Dusty May: “Yeah, we obviously had a late start. And the NIL component is a relationship-based piece as well. And as a new staff, we’ve had to develop relationships. First of all, people don’t want to give to something that’s unknown. They want to feel comfortable and a part of something special, and with the same ideals and standards they have. So we’ve tried to show everyone our vision, and the people that we’ve been in contact with have the same drive and ambition we do. And so, are we where we want to be? No. And when we make another big jump next year in that space, we’re not going to be where we want to be then because our goal is to be the best in everything that we do. And our goal is to be the best NIL basketball program in the Big 10. We’re not there yet, but we’re moving closer, and things have moved quickly. We’re very, very happy with where we are today. But we’re not going to stop, and obviously winning is going to help move that forward as well.”
To watch the full interview, visit The Michigan Insider.
