Michigan Announce Contract Extension For Dusty May

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Apr 11, 2026 6:59 PM ET

It took Dusty May just two years to achieve what four predecessors and the famed Fab Five couldn't achieve: Win a national title. After cutting down the nets on a national title win, Michigan is getting ready to cut May a monster check.

On Saturday, Michigan athletic Warde Manuel announced that May has agreed to a contract extension with the Wolverines basketball program. Terms of the deal are not yet specified, but Manuel assured a crowd of people at the Crisler Center that May will be leading the Wolverines for "many years to come."

“Dusty and I have already reached an agreement,” Manuel said, via MLive, to thunderous applause. “And he will be the leader of this basketball team for many years to come.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 22: Head coach Dusty May of the Florida Atlantic Owls reacts in the first half against the Northwestern Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 22, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Sarah Stier/Getty Images

How much?

Until we see the terms of the deal, it's hard to gauge exactly what May is going to be making. But we can take a pretty good guess.

According to the Detroit Free Press via Yahoo Sports, May's contract ran through the 2029-30 season and maxed out at $5.6 million per year. With Kansas coach Bill Self boasting the top per year contract at nearly $9 million annually and with North Carolina giving Mike Malone a six-year, $50 million deal, we can reasonably assume that May's deal will be upwards of $8.5 million per year.

Dusty May and Michigan are in agreement on a contract extension, AD Warde Manuel revealed Saturday during the Wolverines' national title celebration 〽️

May's previous contract was set to peak at $5.6 million in 2029-30, per a contract previously obtained by the @freep. pic.twitter.com/niTmcgcLOs
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 11, 2026

May rose to national prominence as head coach at Florida Atlantic, leading the Owls to the Final Four in 2023 and getting hired by the Wolverines the following year. In his very first year, he led Michigan to the Big Ten Tournament title and the Sweet 16.

The 2025-26 season saw May emerge as one of the true juggernauts of college coaching. Michigan went 29-2 in the regular season but lost the Big Ten title game to Purdue. However, they still secured a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament and dominated the opposition.

Michigan beat each of Howard, Saint Louis, Alabama, Tennessee and Arizona by double digits and controlled UConn in the national title game en route to a 69-63 win.

Through two seasons, May is 64–13 with an 83.1-percent win rate - the highest in Michigan history by a wide margin.

It's likely to be money well spent for the next decade.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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