For the first time in his three-year tenure at Florida, head coach Mike White will be searching for a new assistant coach.
Florida assistant coach Dusty May was hired as Florida Atlantic’s head coach Thursday, opening a spot on UF’s coaching staff.
May has been White’s lead assistant at Louisiana Tech and Florida since 2011, instrumental in both player development and recruiting at both programs. In 2015, May interviewed for the head coaching job at Louisiana Tech, but didn’t get it and followed White to Florida.
White’s younger brother, Brian White, was recently hired as athletic director at FAU and made May his primary target to replace Michael Curry, who was fired after posting a 39-84 record in four seasons with the Owls.
“Dusty was my number one choice, and I am thrilled to have him lead our men’s basketball program,” Brian White said. “This hire is a clear demonstration of the ambition we have for our basketball program, our athletic department and our university. Dusty will bring tremendous passion, determination and work ethic to this position. The future of the FAU men’s basketball program is bright.”
May was a student manager at Indiana under Bobby Knight and began his career on Indiana’s video staff. He served assistant coaching stints at Eastern Michigan, Murray State, UAB, Louisiana Tech and Florida before landing his first head coaching job.
“The opportunity to recruit in such a fertile region, the momentum this university is enjoying and the enormous potential here are ideal starting points,” May said. “We will be winners here, and we will play with tremendous passion and energy. The vision of President John Kelly, the board of trustees and the athletic department under the leadership of Brian White made this move an easy decision. I can’t wait to get started.”
Florida will be searching for an assistant to join incumbents Jordan Mincy and Darris Nichols. If White chooses to search for an assistant coach with head coaching experience, a possible candidate would be former Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy, who recently stepped down after 12 seasons in Oxford. White worked as an assistant for Kennedy at Ole Miss from 2006-11. Another possible candidate would be Marquette assistant Brett Nelson, who was a former Gator player from 1999-2003.
“Dusty has been an incredibly important part of every aspect of our program at both Louisiana Tech and UF,” Florida coach Mike White said. “He’s got incredible passion, has a relentless work ethic, operates with integrity, and possesses family values that permeate the program. FAU has found a great coach and human being, and Dusty May found a great fit.”
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