BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Hoosiers are back in the Hall for a Saturday afternoon tip with the Michigan Wolverines. Dusty May is back in the building as he'll be pacing the sidelines for the road team. And your guess is as good as mine on what the environment will be like in Bloomington, with this being the first game for Indiana since the Mike Woodson announcement a few days ago.
The timing of all of these events is quite ironic. About 14 months ago, I wrote an article about Dusty May and the possibility of Indiana targeting May as their next Head Coach sooner, rather than later, before another big program snatched him up. And sure enough, Indiana is now searching for a Head Coach while Mr. May is finding success in the Big Ten with another team.
Here's the article in full from December of 2023:
When Mike Woodson took over the Indiana program in March of 2021, most Hoosier fans shared a mix of excitement and curiosity with the hire. The first question fans wanted to know: Can he recruit? That question has been answered, and Woodson has had zero problems keeping and bringing talent to Bloomington. The next question fans wanted to know: How long will Woody be able to coach? At the current age of 65, is there a succession plan in place? Will there eventually be one? Or, would Indiana ever consider the unthinkable and go after their next target sooner rather than later?
Dusty May is the target I'm speaking of. There has already been speculation in some circles that May will be the guy Indiana wants when the time comes. But my question is this: What if the time to strike passes them by? What if Dusty May gets snatched up by a huge program, or even heads to the NBA, before the Hoosiers have an opening?
It's been great having a life-long Hoosier leading the program once again. And it's entirely possible that Woodson ends up bringing the program back to respectability before his coaching days are over. But I can't help but ask the question. If you could land Dusty May this spring, would you be bold and make that move?
More than likely, Indiana is going to ride with Mike Woodson until Woodson wants to retire. You can't fault them for that. It would be a wild scene that would ruffle a lot of feathers if they decided to replace him after just three years. If you're going to make a move like that, you better be sure it's for an absolute slam dunk of a hire. I personally believe Dusty May is that guy. But he could end up being the right guy, at the wrong time.
Many fans know May's background: He went to high school in Indiana, and then attended Indiana University in the late 90's. He was a student manager for Bob Knight. He later had administrative roles at Indiana and USC before bouncing around at various places with different coaching gigs. He learned under guys like Mike White, Kerry Rupp, and former IU coach Mike Davis at UAB. Since becoming a Head Coach in 2018 at Florida Atlantic, he spent a few years building the program up before lighting the world on fire there the last few seasons.
May led FAU to the Final Four last season, while winning 35 games. This year, he's been on a mission to prove it wasn't a one-year-wonder. Florida Atlantic is 10-2 to start this season, and is currently ranked #7 in the Nation. They just defeated #4 Arizona last week, and also beat #12 Texas A&M earlier this season. Dusty May's offense has had rave reviews from basketball experts all over the world the last few seasons. Many of them have compared his offense to the style of play in Europe, and have even compared his innovative offense to the legend Coach Knight himself.
So let's break down everything we know about Dusty May: He's only 46 years old. He has the Indiana roots and understands Indiana basketball. He has proven that his success wasn't a one-year thing at Florida Atlantic. And he has one of the most innovative offensive systems in the game today.
Sounds like the perfect fit at Indiana University to me.
Maybe Dusty May is comfortable staying at FAU for a few more years before the Indiana job becomes available. It's also possible that May prefers to build his legacy there, or head to the NBA eventually. No one is entirely sure how he would feel about coaching at Indiana in the near future. But I personally wouldn't want to wait around to find out if you already believe he's the guy. I don't think Mike Woodson will be ready to retire for several more seasons. I just don't think he came to Indiana with the intention of only coaching 3-4 years. I think it's more like a 6-8 year plan in his mind. By then, there's a good chance Dusty May will be long gone.
Jed Hoyer of the Chicago Cubs shocked the world recently by firing beloved manager David Ross, and hiring Craig Counsell. Ross was under contract and was told he was returning. When Counsell became available, Hoyer pounced at the opportunity. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is also the right thing. Will Indiana follow this kind of boldness? I highly doubt it.
But a New Year is approaching. It's okay to dream. If you want to update the dusty banners, Dusty May be the guy to get the job done.
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