NOW WHAT? ESPN reports FAU's May passes on Louisville, will take job at Michigan

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After days of heavy local and national speculation that he would become the next head coach at Louisville, Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May will accept the head coaching job at Michigan, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnorowski.

May, 47, had been Louisville's top target after Baylor's Scott Drew decided to stay in Waco. May, who led FAU to an improbable Final Four run in 2023, had led the Owls back to the NCAA Tournament, where they fell in overtime to Northwestern on Thursday.

Wojnorowski, via his X account, said that May was swayed to Michigan by several factors.

"May became swept away with the alumni network and its fierce loyalty to the university and athletics, sources said," according to Wojnorowski's post. "His belief is that that will help transcend some of the inherently transactional nature of the modern NIL/transfer portal era in recruiting and player retention."

A former basketball manager for Bob Knight at Indiana from 1996-2000, May had appeared to be Louisville's choice for breathing life into Louisville’s storied basketball program at one of its lowest points. The Cardinals won just 12 games in two seasons under Kenny Payne, who took over a program already troubled by NCAA sanctions from the end of the Rick Pitino era and a midseason departure by his successor, Chris Mack.

Now, attention turns to another young candidate -- Seton Hall's Shaheen Holloway, who took the job at his alma mater two seasons ago after upsetting Kentucky and leading Saint Peters' to a surprise trip to the Elite Eight.

Sources say Louisville also has been impressed with College of Charleston coach Pat Kelsey.

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