Michigan Basketball: Dusty May Shakes Up Wolverines Coaching Staff

11 newcomers have joined the Michigan men’s basketball roster during the offseason. As if that weren't enough change, new coach Dusty May has completely revamped the Wolverines’ assistant coaching staff. With the Wolverines’ first game less than a month away, the coaches are focused on establishing team cohesion before the start of the season.

Among the new hires are Mike Boynton Jr., Akeem Miskdeen, and Justin Joyner, all of whom were brought on within 18 days of May’s hiring.

Akeem Miskdeen

Miskdeen previously worked with May as an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic. Miskdeen will work diligently with May to develop Michigan's offensive strategy.

Before signing on with the Wolverines, Akeem Miskdeen was hired as Florida Atlantic University's assistant men's basketball coach back in April of 2018. In his first season with the Owls, he helped lead to the team to their first winning record since 2011. Later, they appeared in the College Insider Tournament (CIT), marking just the third postseason appearance in the school's history. Under Miskeen's tutelage, senior guard Anthony Adger increased his scoring average from 6.1 to 15.5 points per game. As a team, the Owls set records for three-pointers made, and free throw percentage. With Miskeen's guidance, the Owls went on to score 2,322 points that season, the second highest single season total in Owls history.

Mike Boynton Jr & Justin Joyner

May also brought on Mike Boynton Jr. and Justin Joyner to help lead the Wolverines' defense. While neither Boynton nor Joyner have worked with May before, both bring an abundance of experience that should help to balance the Wolverines offensive strategy with an equally intelligent defensive scheme. For seven years, Boynton served as head coach for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, while Joyner worked as an assistant at Saint Mary’s.

Having inherited a combination of freshman recruits and transfer-portal pulls, it will be crucial for May to establish a team mentality before the season starts. If he wants to leave a legacy at Michigan, he and his new staff will have to focus diligently on getting the 11 new players to mesh well together.

Related: Michigan Wolverines Fall to No. 31 on ESPN's College Football Power Index