Former Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton is headed to the National Championship, as an assistant coach with the Michigan Wolverines, facing the UCONN Huskies
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. — This year’s Final Four features teams, in Illinois and Michigan, who have former Cowboy head coaches on their staff. Brad Underwood as head coach for Illinois and Mike Boynton as an assistant coach for Michigan.
Oklahoma State Publisher, Tyler Jones is on the scene in Indianapolis and got the chance to catch up with former Oklahoma State head coach, Mike Boynton.
Fresh off Michigan’s dominant 91-73 victory over Arizona in the 2026 NCAA Final Four, Wolverines assistant coach Mike Boynton sat down with Tyler Jones for a postgame interview. The conversation noted Boynton’s journey, from head coach at Oklahoma State to a key member of Dusty May’s staff as the Wolverines (now 36-3) prepare to face UConn in Monday night’s national championship game in Indianapolis.
Boynton expressed gratitude for the moment, crediting the collaborative staff and especially the players. “It’s a testament to the staff that I work with and obviously even more the players that we have an opportunity,” he said. He praised the team’s tremendous depth of talent combined with unselfishness, “We have kids who care about winning and care about each other’s success and play incredibly unselfish basketball, and it’s the reason why we’re going to be playing on Monday night.”
Reflecting on his experience at Michigan, Boynton described it as “awesome” and a valuable learning opportunity. Now in his second season with the program (hired in 2024 as an assistant and defensive coordinator), he likened the role to “a little bit of a sabbatical from being a head coach.” He noted uncertainty about future head-coaching chances but emphasized that this experience will better prepare him if another opportunity arises. Working under Dusty May has been satisfying, allowing him to focus on player development and defensive schemes in a supportive environment.
Boynton broke down what makes this Michigan group special - positional size, depth, high basketball IQ, and above all, unselfishness. He pointed to the Final Four win, where players like Yaxel Lendeborg (“Yaks”) saw limited minutes, yet others stepped up without selfishness, an attitude that positions them well against a strong UConn team.
Looking ahead to Monday’s title game, Boynton acknowledged UConn’s formidable qualities. “They have winning DNA. They’ve won at a high level,” he said, comparing Alex Karaban to “this generation’s Christian Laettner” for his team success.
He highlighted UConn’s elite coaching, strong guard play (noting Taris Reed playing exceptionally well), and the challenge ahead: “It’s going to be a heck of a challenge. We’ll have to play really, really well to give ourselves a chance.”
Boynton’s path adds depth to the narrative. After seven seasons as Oklahoma State’s head coach (2017-2024), where he compiled a 119-109 record, developed NBA talent like Cade Cunningham, secured three 20-win seasons, and reached the NCAA Tournament, he was let go following a postseason miss.
Now, as part of a great Michigan squad chasing its first title since 1989, Boynton seems to have renewed energy about him.