RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — Despite winning the 2026 national championship, Michigan basketball coach Dusty May doesn’t “feel like we’re national champions.”
The Wolverines beat UConn on April 6 to win their first title since 1989, ending a 26-year Big Ten drought with a dominant run through the NCAA Tournament. Michigan had a parade and celebration the weekend after the Final Four, but now more than a month after winning it all, May doesn’t feel any different than before.
“There have been times like that when it’s been just a really cool moment to take a step back, but overall, I don’t really feel any different,” May told USA TODAY Sports at the Big Ten spring meetings. “I don’t feel like we’re national champions.”
The reason for that? Because May quickly turned his attention to next season.
The college basketball calendar lives up to the saying of when one door closes, another opens. Less than an hour after the buzzer sounded inside Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, the transfer portal officially opened at midnight ET on April 7.
May and his staff could have soaked in the celebration, but getting a roster assembled was a priority. He said it doesn’t make sense to complain about the quick turnaround since coaches agreed with the date, so he instead got to work.
“You finish that and you immediately turn to what’s next,” May added. “We chose to start the next day because we wanted to have an opportunity to be as good as we could possibly be the next year, and timing is incredibly important. The urgency in the portal was paramount.
“We were mentally fatigued, but it’s part of our job.”
The Wolverines have a roster well-positioned to defend their crown. Even with departures like Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara, May has a recruiting class that includes highly rated guard Brandon McCoy Jr., as well as transfers Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) and J.P. Estrella (Tennessee). Also back is NCAA Tournament most outstanding player Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney.
There’s one more spot left, and it all depends on Morez Johnson Jr. The Big Ten all-defensive team member entered his name in the NBA Draft but maintained his eligibility. However, he may not be back as he has reportedly generated big buzz that could result in a first round selection.
While stressful, May said he’s ready to approach whatever outcome happens, with an upcoming roster he is highly complimentary of.
“We’ll have a team that’s — I don’t say equally as talented — but in the same ballpark. I think we’ll have an opportunity on another special team.”
Dusty May hasn’t signed contract extension yet
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said during the championship celebration on April 11 May had reached an agreement on a contract extension. Details weren’t released, but Manuel said it would make his coach “the leader of this basketball team for many years to come.”
May had signed a new contract with Michigan in February 2025. The deal ran through 2030 with a base salary of $4.6 million, and offered a $250,000 increase each season, according to his contract obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
As of May 18, the new contract hasn’t been signed yet, May confirmed. He said there are “minor details” being adjusted between both parties, but he’s committed to staying with the Wolverines.
“We’d like to build one of the most consistent, greatest basketball programs in the country,” May said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dusty May doesn’t feel like champion, hasn’t signed new contract yet