Mike Boynton didn’t waste any time making his first major move as Michigan basketball’s head coach, and it’s a familiar kind of move if you’ve been watching how the Wolverines have built this thing.
When Dusty May arrived in Ann Arbor, one of his early additions was Boynton, fresh off being fired as Oklahoma State’s head coach. Now Boynton is the one setting the tone, and he’s done it by bringing in former Brown head coach Mike Martin, the winningest coach in that Ivy League program’s history.
Michigan made the hire official after reports surfaced, and Boynton made it clear why Martin was the guy he wanted.
"Mike is someone I've admired for a long time," said Boynton. "He's an outstanding coach, an exceptional teacher and one of the best recruiters in the game, but more than anything, he's a great person who truly invests in his players. At Brown, he's built consistently competitive teams through player development and a winning culture, and those values align perfectly with what we're building here in Ann Arbor."
Martin brings 14 years of head coaching experience, and on paper, he checks a lot of the boxes Michigan seems to want. He’s known for his defensive background, but his teams at Brown also played at a fast tempo, which should fit cleanly with what the Wolverines want to do. That pace is part of what makes this hire feel so natural.
There’s also a chance Martin fills a role similar to the one Boynton handled when he first got to Michigan. Boynton helped shape the Wolverines’ elite defense over the past two seasons, and Martin could step into that kind of coordinator-type role, with an emphasis on defense. He could also have a hand in the offense, or simply bring the perspective of a veteran head coach on both ends of the floor.
His Brown teams were solid defensively, and at times the defense outpaced the offense, which makes sense given the talent limitations he had to work around there. That won’t be the case in Ann Arbor.
Michigan is sitting on one of the best rosters in college basketball, and the retention work has been massive. Thirteen of the 14 players who were expected to be on the roster for Dusty May have confirmed they’re back through either an announcement or a media report. LJ Cason is the lone holdout, though he is expected to return as well.
Boynton said when he was the interim coach that keeping the roster together was the first priority, with staff-building coming second. Now, with a two-year deal in hand, he’s moving quickly on both fronts. Martin, who has 171 wins and more than a decade of experience, is the first piece in place.
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Michigan Hit With Another Lawsuit As Warde Manuel Pressure Boils Over
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What makes this one especially combustible is the way it keeps the pressure on Manuel at a moment when his future is already under scrutiny. The allegations in the filing have not been proven in court, but they arrive as a Michigan Board of Regents meeting is expected to address Manuels status with the university, turning what might have been a routine governance matter into another flashpoint for a department that has not had much room to breathe. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Have Every Right To Be Frustrated About Jordan Marshall
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Marshall still enters 2026 as the clear lead option, but the picture around him is shifting. Freshman Savion Hiter adds another layer of talent to the room, and a new offensive coordinator will help shape how Michigan uses its backs, which makes the next step for Marshall and the offense worth watching even if the national rankings have already moved on. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan May Have Found A Crucial Answer At Linebacker
With Michigan moving on from its top three linebackers, the spring spotlight has shifted quickly to the next wave, and Chase Taylor is right in the middle of it. The sophomore, part of the 2025 recruiting class, already saw the field in 10 games last season, and now he is being talked about as one of the players most likely to help stabilize the position as the Wolverines reshape the defense under Jay Hill.
Taylor has been grouped with Troy Bowles and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng as one of the top three linebackers on the roster this spring, which says plenty about how fast the picture is changing. For Michigan, the appeal is obvious: Taylor brings the size and athleticism coaches want in the middle of the defense, and the question now is how quickly that promise turns into a bigger role when the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]