May Named USBWA Henry Iba National Coach of the Year
4/14/2026 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- David and Meredith Kaplan University of Michigan men's basketball head coach Dusty May was named the recipient of the 2026 Henry Iba Award today (Monday, April 14), presented annually to the nation's top men's college basketball coach, the United States Basketball Writers Association announced.
The honor caps a historic 2025-26 season for the Wolverines, as May led Michigan to a Big Ten regular-season championship, a Big Ten and program-record 19 conference victories, and an NCAA Tournament run that culminated in U-M's second national championship.
Michigan finished with a program- and Big Ten-tying 37-3 overall record, including a 19-1 mark in conference play to secure the league title by four games. The Wolverines also posted a perfect 10-0 Big Ten road record, becoming the first conference team to accomplish the feat in 50 years.
During the regular season, U-M's 18-2 start was punctuated by a dominant run to the 2025 Players Era title in Las Vegas. The Wolverines rolled through the field with wins of 40, 30 and 40 points, capped by a 101-61 victory over Gonzaga in the championship game.
Despite falling in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, May's Wolverines surged through the NCAA Tournament, winning their first five games by an average of 27.5 points while topping 90 points in each contest. Michigan closed the run by securing the national title with a 69-63 victory over UConn.
U-M went 13-2 against nationally ranked opponents and set a program record with just three losses on the season. Notably, the Wolverines' three defeats came by an average of just 5.3 points per game.
Michigan's success was mirrored by individual accolades, led by Yaxel Lendeborg, who earned John R. Wooden All-America Team honors, was a consensus All-American, and was named Big Ten Player of the Year while collecting first-team All-Big Ten recognition. Aday Mara was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Defensive Team and third-team All-Big Ten honors, while Elliot Cadeau was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
In addition to the USBWA honor, May was named Big Ten Coach of the Year (media) and the Associated Press Big Ten Coach of the Year, while earning NABC All-Great Lakes District Coach of the Year recognition.
Named after legendary coach Henry Iba, the Henry Iba Award is one of college basketball's most prestigious coaching honors and has been presented by the USBWA since 1959.
