May’s son is on Michigan staff during Final Four

Dusty May’s son Eli is strolling the same path as his father while Michigan pushes towards the national championship game. Michigan has navigated a largely easy March Madness street to the Final Four. May, named USBWA National Coach of the Year in 2026, is chasing his first championship title.

He guided Florida Atlantic University to the Final Four in 2023 and has replicated that success with Michigan in 2026. May is aiming to finish the journey along with his son Eli working as a pupil supervisor — mirroring May’s personal experience at Division II Oakland City University under Bob Knight at Indiana.

Eli was a walk-on at South Florida before transferring to Michigan, the place he performed under former Wolverines coach Juwan Howard. When May arrived at Michigan, Eli remained in his place. In other news, UConn head coach Dan Hurley’s dad is a basketball legend, however his college abruptly closed.

“I didn’t necessarily want to take this path,” Eli acknowledged. However, he might have performed his last game in uniform, dedicating himself to a trajectory that might mirror his father’s ascent.

“I’d seen the managers from the outside, but I’d never been inside a program and seen it,” Eli explained. “What they’ve learned, how they go about their business, it made me want to be a manager more than anything. I feel like it’s a much better path to becoming a coach eventually.”

Initially reluctant, May finally relented and allowed his son, Eli, to change into a pupil supervisor, though he had hoped Eli would pursue a profession as an athletic director or front-office government moderately than teaching.

However, like father, like son. Eli now demonstrates the same dedication May as soon as confirmed as a pupil supervisor, arriving before gamers for apply and exercises, and rebounding for them during taking pictures classes. Student managers review game footage for coaches and take part with the scout team during apply.

They also compile statistics and monitor opponents’ play calls during games, while dealing with numerous other program obligations, from cleansing as much as transporting coaches to airports to fetching meals.

“It’s obviously tough to give up playing the game and being on a team wearing a jersey,” May shared with USA TODAY Sports. “But I just thought as far as his long-term development, all the things our managers learn, problem-solving, they learn people skills. They learn to function.

“We attempt to give them lots of accountability because we all know in the event that they’re ever going to make it in teaching… they should have the experience of doing significant work. Our managers have helped him change into a lot more accountable.”

Michigan faces Arizona in the Final Four of the 2026 males’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday, April 4.