Dusty May has taken his name out of North Carolina’s coaching search, multiple people familiar with the process said Sunday, removing one of the Tar Heels’ top targets just one day before Michigan plays for the national championship.
’s Pete Thamel first reported the news. Michigan is set to face UConn on Monday night, and May’s decision comes after he declined to address the UNC job on Friday before the Wolverines beat Arizona in the national semifinals on Saturday.
May has been open about where he stands. He said Friday, “I’m never going to comment on any job that I don’t have.” He added, “I think it’s well documented how happy I am at Michigan,” and said his family’s happiness matters. He also said, “Yeah, I love it at Michigan, but you’ll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go and then I’ll comment on every job.”
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The timing matters because Michigan’s run is still alive and the coaching carousel is moving anyway. May, 49, is in the middle of a 63-13 record through two seasons in Ann Arbor. He has already led the Wolverines to Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and he remains under contract through 2030. Any school trying to pry him away would have to deal with a $7 million buyout if he left before April 30, 2026.
May is the second Final Four coach this week to pull out of North Carolina’s search. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd removed himself Friday after agreeing to a five-year, $37.5 million extension with the Wildcats. That leaves Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan as one of the Tar Heels’ top remaining candidates, though the Bulls’ season does not end until April 13, five days after the transfer portal opens. Industry sources said Donovan has already reached out to potential staffers who could join him in Chapel Hill.
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North Carolina’s search still has other names in play, including Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington, Iowa’s Ben McCollum and former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone. But May’s exit narrows the field at a moment when UNC wants its next coach in place, and it reinforces how firmly he has tied himself to Michigan while the Wolverines chase a title.
