A Case for Dusty May

[JSHoosier 19,678]

I'd like to see more of May, personally. How much of the last couple years is his coaching acumen and how much of it is getting lucky with a guard like Davis?

[IndyResident16 567]

15 minutes ago, Truthhurts said:

I’m not trying to disparage Dusty. The reality is, though, his *BEST* team in the four years before he nabbed this current group of players was 129th in KenPom. That’s just flat out not very good, winning record or not. And again - that was the best team he had. 
 

Schertz was able to muster a top 100 team at Indiana State in just year 2 at Indiana State. And this year they’re playing like a sweet 16 team with far less talent than FAU. 
 

Dusty seems to be a capable coach. But I’m not convinced he’s special. People are falling  for him here more than they should because he has a tie to IU and happened to go on a deep run last season. Those aren’t sufficient bases to favor him over a guy who’s been elite for like 15 straight seasons as a head coach and who plays mathematically perfect modern basketball. 
 

I feel pretty confident IU would ultimately regret hiring Dusty over Schertz. 

FAU's defensive metrics are pretty alarming and that's with about a 20 spot jump in the last 2 weeks. They've tanked from last year despite bringing back nearly their entire core. 

To your second point, this exactly. Dusty May is nothing more than a box checker.

-State/university ties

-up and comer

-flash in pan tournament success

There's nothing that says Dusty May will be anything more than the roll of the dice here. Have to do better than that this go around. 

[southsidehoosier 4,800]

1 hour ago, Stuhoo said:

I mean for crying out loud, the guy apparently chooses to vacation in Terre freakin Haute!

If that doesn't say "I wish I was anywhere in Indiana" I don't know what does.

I’ve heard he ventures over to Brazil when he wants a more exotic location 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 81,951]

Mood rings, pet rocks, lava lamps, cabbage patch kids, Dusty May.  What's the next big fad?

Not for or against him just finding it really amusing that he's considered a done deal if Woody's fired this season but May is already locked in somewhere else if Woody sticks around for another year.

[Bowhunter 2,674]

I like the good young coaches that get their shot at the big schools. I’m just not sure I want to risk it. I’d rather have a proven winner as first choice. 

[str8baller 4,845]

3 hours ago, JF87 said:

My fear is that Larranaga at Miami or Leonard Hamilton at Florida State will retire after this season.  If one of those universities would offer Dusty, we could end up missing out.  I don't think we can assume that Dusty would be willing to wait another year on the IU job.    

Miami apparently has a decent NIL. And the recruiting ground isn’t terrible with all those academies. Plus it’s Miami. 
 

I would not assume you could pull any coach out of there if they started having success. 

[SamIam 644]

Florida/Miami are no threats to IU. He's in the south because he had to scrap to get where he is, just like Shertz, but he's an East Greene boy at heart. He would take the job even from another power 5. His kids are no longer in HS, he can be mobile if he wants to. 

As for his coaching acumen, I don't understand this board sometimes. Just because we found a shiny new toy doesn't mean that the others are lesser candidates. I love em both but I think a lot of people here sort of find a new candidate and then try to find reasons to disqualify others. Dusty absolutely deserves to be a candidate.  

For starters, ISU is a WAY better job. It's in Indiana for god's sake, plus they have a final four! Hulman Center holds 9,000 people! I get the feeling most people here don't understand what FAU is. Since the first season of KenPom, ISU has 5 top 100 seasons, and only 5 seasons worse than 200 in KP. In the same time frame, FAU had only 2 seasons in history ranked in the top 200 in KP. Kenpom program ranks even including Dusty's tenure: ISU - 138, FAU - 210. 

Then Dusty May came in and had 6 straight winning seasons (before him there were only 4 winning seasons since '98). 6 straight seasons above 200 in Kenpom. The first two seasons in FAU history under 100 in Kenpom (17 last year, currently 24). And a Final freakin Four. All with no recruits. Someone said he got lucky with Nelly Davis? He famously came off the bench most of last season. ISU arguably has the better talent right now, Conwell was a 3 star recruit! 

Call if whatever you want, but this dude can freaking coach. He's energetic, young, and he loves our school and we could do much, much worse. Since I get the sense that it was the athletic article that convinced all of you, here's some more light reading: https://theathletic.com/4284970/2023/03/09/dusty-may-florida-atlantic-college-basketball-ncaa/

[Stuhoo 76,861]

17 minutes ago, SamIam said:

Florida/Miami are no threats to IU. He's in the south because he had to scrap to get where he is, just like Shertz, but he's an East Greene boy at heart. He would take the job even from another power 5. His kids are no longer in HS, he can be mobile if he wants to. 

As for his coaching acumen, I don't understand this board sometimes. Just because we found a shiny new toy doesn't mean that the others are lesser candidates. I love em both but I think a lot of people here sort of find a new candidate and then try to find reasons to disqualify others. Dusty absolutely deserves to be a candidate.  

For starters, ISU is a WAY better job. It's in Indiana for god's sake, plus they have a final four! Hulman Center holds 9,000 people! I get the feeling most people here don't understand what FAU is. Since the first season of KenPom, ISU has 5 top 100 seasons, and only 5 seasons worse than 200 in KP. In the same time frame, FAU had only 2 seasons in history ranked in the top 200 in KP. Kenpom program ranks even including Dusty's tenure: ISU - 138, FAU - 210. 

Then Dusty May came in and had 6 straight winning seasons (before him there were only 4 winning seasons since '98). 6 straight seasons above 200 in Kenpom. The first two seasons in FAU history under 100 in Kenpom (17 last year, currently 24). And a Final freakin Four. All with no recruits. Someone said he got lucky with Nelly Davis? He famously came off the bench most of last season. ISU arguably has the better talent right now, Conwell was a 3 star recruit! 

Call if whatever you want, but this dude can freaking coach. He's energetic, young, and he loves our school and we could do much, much worse. Since I get the sense that it was the athletic article that convinced all of you, here's some more light reading: https://theathletic.com/4284970/2023/03/09/dusty-may-florida-atlantic-college-basketball-ncaa/

Preach on brother man. Preach on!

[Class of '66 Old Fart 81,951]

I don't know if this tweeted information is accurate or not, but if it is, May could become the Coach Cig of our bball program.

Every player on FAU's roster, including Johnell Davis, can return next season. If a school hires Dusty May away from FAU this off-season, they could end up inheriting a Final Four experienced roster.

[TTT 812]

Don’t want big name coach anything.
 Rather, enjoy the ride upward with Dusty May .  

Him and Schertz coach about the same type game.  

other considerations would be Stevens and Alford.

Woodson and staff are done.  Unqualified, lazy, really don’t care that much, no enthusiasm, no solutions, and are in the gig for as long as it lasts until moving on.

[Adillac 953]

Agree 100%

[Kentuckysucks 2,170]

1 hour ago, SamIam said:

Florida/Miami are no threats to IU. He's in the south because he had to scrap to get where he is, just like Shertz, but he's an East Greene boy at heart. He would take the job even from another power 5. His kids are no longer in HS, he can be mobile if he wants to. 

As for his coaching acumen, I don't understand this board sometimes. Just because we found a shiny new toy doesn't mean that the others are lesser candidates. I love em both but I think a lot of people here sort of find a new candidate and then try to find reasons to disqualify others. Dusty absolutely deserves to be a candidate.  

For starters, ISU is a WAY better job. It's in Indiana for god's sake, plus they have a final four! Hulman Center holds 9,000 people! I get the feeling most people here don't understand what FAU is. Since the first season of KenPom, ISU has 5 top 100 seasons, and only 5 seasons worse than 200 in KP. In the same time frame, FAU had only 2 seasons in history ranked in the top 200 in KP. Kenpom program ranks even including Dusty's tenure: ISU - 138, FAU - 210. 

Then Dusty May came in and had 6 straight winning seasons (before him there were only 4 winning seasons since '98). 6 straight seasons above 200 in Kenpom. The first two seasons in FAU history under 100 in Kenpom (17 last year, currently 24). And a Final freakin Four. All with no recruits. Someone said he got lucky with Nelly Davis? He famously came off the bench most of last season. ISU arguably has the better talent right now, Conwell was a 3 star recruit! 

Call if whatever you want, but this dude can freaking coach. He's energetic, young, and he loves our school and we could do much, much worse. Since I get the sense that it was the athletic article that convinced all of you, here's some more light reading: https://theathletic.com/4284970/2023/03/09/dusty-may-florida-atlantic-college-basketball-ncaa/

I'm a Dusty May fan.  But I prefer Schwerz. Dusty is always talked about as such a nice guy, great guy, great family man.  That's usually the kiss of death in coaching.  We've had so many from Cam Cameron to Bill Lynch to Tom Allen to Mike Davis to Crean to Archie to Woody.  The Colts have had a ton from Dungy to Caldwell to Pagano to Reich.  It's just not what we need.

Schertz earned everything he got.  Daddy kicked him out of the house.  Lived off of friends couches.  Got a girl knocked up then divorced.  As someone else said he's a dude.  We need another Knight, a Belichek, a Pitino, a Calipari, etc.  An @$$ kicker so to speak.  Not sure Dusty is that guy.

[SamIam 644]

6 minutes ago, Kentuckysucks said:

I'm a Dusty May fan.  But I prefer Schwerz. Dusty is always talked about as such a nice guy, great guy, great family man.  That's usually the kiss of death in coaching.  We've had so many from Cam Cameron to Bill Lynch to Tom Allen to Mike Davis to Crean to Archie to Woody.  The Colts have had a ton from Dungy to Caldwell to Pagano to Reich.  It's just not what we need.

Schertz earned everything he got.  Daddy kicked him out of the house.  Lived off of friends couches.  Got a girl knocked up then divorced.  As someone else said he's a dude.  We need another Knight, a Belichek, a Pitino, a Calipari, etc.  An @$$ kicker so to speak.  Not sure Dusty is that guy.

Not sure about the "nice guys finish last" line. I agree we need a dog, but I think that has more to do with work ethic than anything. Neither Shertz or May (or Shrews for that matter) played high level college basketball. They had to work their way up. They scrapped their way up to where they are. Everything I've read and every interview I've seen talks about how hard the dude works. If he can be a nice guy while doing it I don't see it as a problem. Also Bennett, Williams, and Wright all are universally known as super nice guys and none of them had problems winning. 

[TheWatShot 13,418]

1 hour ago, Kentuckysucks said:

I'm a Dusty May fan.  But I prefer Schwerz. Dusty is always talked about as such a nice guy, great guy, great family man.  That's usually the kiss of death in coaching.  We've had so many from Cam Cameron to Bill Lynch to Tom Allen to Mike Davis to Crean to Archie to Woody.  The Colts have had a ton from Dungy to Caldwell to Pagano to Reich.  It's just not what we need.

Schertz earned everything he got.  Daddy kicked him out of the house.  Lived off of friends couches.  Got a girl knocked up then divorced.  As someone else said he's a dude.  We need another Knight, a Belichek, a Pitino, a Calipari, etc.  An @$$ kicker so to speak.  Not sure Dusty is that guy.

You know who was also thought of as a nice guy? Brad Stevens. 

 

Also, including Dungy in that group is an insult to Dungy. His teams were annually among the least-penalized in the league and were always known for their toughness and discipline. Nice doesn't always equal soft, just like strict doesn't always equal strong. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 81,951]

OMG.  Dusty May possibly a candiate for a different gig.  Everyone please remain calm and do not panic.

[mamasa 14,912]

On 2/6/2024 at 3:58 PM, TTT said:

Don’t want big name coach anything.
 Rather, enjoy ***** and complain about the ride upward with Dusty May .  

Him and Schertz coach about the same type game.  

other considerations would be Stevens and Alford.

Woodson and staff are done.  Unqualified, lazy, really don’t care that much, no enthusiasm, no solutions, and are in the gig for as long as it lasts until moving on.

Fixed it. Not targeted at you TTT, just the majority of IU basketball watchers (I purposefully did not use the word fans).

[mamasa 14,912]

22 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

OMG.  Dusty May possibly a candiate for a different gig.  Everyone please remain calm and do not panic.

[Kentuckysucks 2,170]

32 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

OMG.  Dusty May possibly a candiate for a different gig.  Everyone please remain calm and do not panic.

No chance.  WVU cost themselves 2 banners the last time.  They won't make that mistake again.

 

 

[Henryville Hoosier 964]

12 minutes ago, mamasa said:

Love Bill Paxton, shame he passed away. 

[IUCrazy2 2,187]

52 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

OMG.  Dusty May possibly a candiate for a different gig.  Everyone please remain calm and do not panic.

He'd drop that job like a hot potato to come to Indiana.  Nevermind the ties he has here, the Big Ten and SEC are creating a real hierarchy of future haves and have nots.  WVU would be the latter.