Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dusty May sees recruitment as key for FAU hoops.
First-year coach out to build Owls through good recruitment
Stability is one thing new Florida Atlantic basketball coach Dusty May hasn’t experienced since being hired in late March.
He’s spent a large portion of his time couch-surfing because his home is under renovation, but living out of a suitcase hasn’t stopped the process of rebuilding the program. A former Florida Gators assistant, May is learning on the go in his first head coaching job.
“I’ve been staying in a hotel or been sleeping in a different place every night or in a cot,” May said. “There’s been no settling. The family isn’t arriving until next month.”
May has the task of turning around a struggling program. He replaced Michael Curry, who was fired after going 39-84 in four seasons. The Owls haven’t had a winning season since 2011 and last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2002.
“At every job, there are challenges,” May said. “They’re all hard in their own way. [Basketball] has been very well-received in the community.”
May arrives when interest in FAU athletics is at an all-time high. Under coach Lane Kiffin, the football program is gaining national attention after finishing 11-3 and winning its first bowl game in 10 years. The baseball team fell one victory shy of upsetting top-ranked Florida in the NCAA regionals.
“The success of the other sports has helped,” May said. “The biggest surprise is when [recruits] come to campus, they’re pleasantly surprised. They see a growing campus. The campus facilities are phenomenal.”
Only four players return from last year’s team, including senior guard Anthony Adger and junior forward Jailyn Ingram. The remainder of the roster has been filled with May’s first recruiting class, which he is expected to announce in the coming weeks.
“I’ve been really excited about the holdovers, how hard they’ve worked and how they’re changing their habits and putting in a lot of time with their game,” May said.
During his introductory news conference, May emphasized his desire to recruit well locally. He made good on the promise when he landed Ely guard Michael Forrest, who led his team to a state title as a senior. Last year he averaged 26 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals a game and was named the Sun Sentinel’s Class 7A-9A player of the year.
“The thing with Mike is he’s from a program that always wins,” May said. “They have a great environment and culture there [at Ely]. He’s really talented as a player but he’s more impressive as a person, as a leader. He’s a phenomenal kid. He can provide leadership for us.”
When not crashing at hotels, May said he’s been able to start building bonds with several area coaches. He got to know many of them when he used to recruit the area as a Gators assistant.
“We have made good inroads,” May said. “We’re trying to build those relationships. We’re excited about the local kids.”
What has also sped the process is May’s relationship with Athletic Director Brian White, who is also just a couple of months into his job. White was hired a week before May but already has emphasized his desire to produce a winning basketball program.
“He’s been good,” May said. “Him coming in a little bit before me has been very helpful. He pointed us in the right direction as far as what we need to do to help build the program. There’s definitely a sense of urgency to capitalize off the success of other programs and really get name and the brand of FAU basketball out there.”