Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Men's Basketball
May, Dusty
Dusty May
- Title:
- Head Coach
Dusty May led Florida Atlantic to what is undoubtedly its greatest season in school history in the 2022-23 campaign. May guided his Owls to the Final Four while posting a program-best 35-4 record. Prior to this season, the Owls had one previous appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but this year, May led the Owls to not just their first win in the big dance, but all the way to the Final Four in Houston.
In April of 2023, May and Florida Atlantic reached an agreement on a 10-year contract extension.
The May resume is well-decorated, as he was named the CBS Sports National Coach of the Year, as well as the NABC All-District 17 Coach of the Year, Conference USA Coach of the Year and Palm Beach County Coach of the Year. May is the Owls’ all-time leader in coaching wins with a record of 101-60, despite having only been on the FAU sidelines for five seasons. FAU has not had a losing season in the five years of the May era. The Owls also captured the Conference USA Tournament and Regular Season Championships, both for the first time in school history.
Under May's guidance, the 2022-23 Owls posted the most wins in school history, the most conference wins in school & C-USA history (18) the longest winning streak in school history and the third-longest streak in C-USA history (20 games). The 35 wins from the Owls were the most in all of NCAA Division I in the '22-23 season and are only three short of the all-time record of 38.
May led Florida Atlantic to a collection of program records, including points (3,035) field goals made (1,084) 3-pointers made (375) rebounds (1,519) and assists (562). He coached Johnell Davis to C-USA Sixth Player of the Year, First Team All-C-USA and NABC First Team All-District recognition. Alijah Martin joined Davis on the All-C-USA First Team and also was named to NABC Second Team All-District honors. FAU closed out the season ranked No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches poll.
In March 2018, May accepted the challenge of building the Florida Atlantic University’s men’s basketball program into a team that will consistently compete on the national stage.
“Dusty was my number one choice, and I am thrilled to have him lead our men’s basketball program,” said Brian White. “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.”
The 2021-22 campaign saw the Owls finish 19-15 to rack up the fifth-most wins in a single season at FAU, which included a trip to the Roman College Basketball Invitational (CBI), the program’s fourth-ever postseason tournament appearance. Alijah Martin earned All-Conference USA Third Team honors and Michael Forrest was named to the NABC All-District Team, the first for the Owls in nine seasons. Throughout a stretch of the season, the Owls were on a 10-game home winning streak, being just one of 23 teams in the nation with 10+ straight wins at home. FAU’s school-record 11 C-USA wins helped the team earn the third seed in the C-USA Tournament. The Owls went on to earn their fourth consecutive win at the opening/second round of the C-USA Tournament with their dominant 86-59 win over Southern Miss.
The 2020-21 season was another winning campaign, as May became the first coach since the program joined Division I to earn three consecutive winning seasons. The Owls again notched a win at the C-USA Tournament. The team was at the top of the league and among the nation's leaders in total rebounds (first, and No. 9 in the nation), offensive rebounding (first and 29th), rebounding margin (first and 13th), 3-point percentage (first and 16th), scoring margin (second and 20th), 3-pointers made (third and 17th), scoring (third and 38th) and field goal percentage (third and 59th).
In his second year, May led the Owls to their second winning season in a row, the first time that happened since the 1996-97 season. FAU won 14 home games, while averaging 71.1 points per game, its highest average in nearly a decade. May also became the fastest FAU coach to reach 30 wins at the D-I level and collected 16 C-USA wins and 34 overall wins in his first two seasons at the helm. May capped off the campaign by leading the Owls to a 66-56 win over Old Dominion at the C-USA Tournament. The victory was the first in-bracket, neutral site conference tournament win for FAU since 2002.
In his first season at the helm, May led the Owls to a winning record for the first time since 2011 and an appearance in the College Insider Tournament (CIT), the third postseason appearance in school history. Graduate forward Xavian Stapleton was named C-USA Co-Sixth Man of the Year and senior guard Anthony Adger made the All C-USA Third Team. For his efforts, May was a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the best first year coach in Division I. As a team, the Owls set records for rebounds, rebounds per game and free throw percentage.
May spent the previous seven seasons on Mike White’s coaching staffs, first at Louisiana Tech University for four seasons and then with the University of Florida. White is the older brother of Brian White, who was named FAU’s vice president and director of athletics on March 3, 2018.
May joined FAU after three years as an assistant coach at Florida, where he helped the Gators compile a 69-37 record, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. The Gators reached the second round of this year’s tournament after advancing to the Elite Eight in 2017. As a full-time assistant, May’s teams compiled a 274-166 record (.623 winning percentage). In their first season in Gainesville, the Gators rebounded from a sub-.500 record to finish 21-15 and advance to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
“The opportunity to recruit in such a fertile region, the momentum this university is enjoying and the enormous potential here are ideal starting points,” said May. “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.”
May was retained as an assistant at Louisiana Tech when Mike White took over the program entering the 2011-12 season, and the Bulldogs won three straight conference championships – the Western Athletic Conference title in 2013 and C-USA crowns in 2014 and 2015.
May served six seasons (2009-15) as assistant coach and associate head coach at Louisiana Tech. In his final season with the Bulldogs, the team went 27-9, including 15-3 in C-USA to win the regular season championship by two games, and went 17-0 on its home court. LA Tech won 49 of 50 home games from February 2012 through the end of the 2014-15 season.
May was a student manager for the Indiana University men’s basketball team and after graduating, he began his professional career as an administrative assistant/video coordinator at USC from 2000-02. He returned to Indiana in an administrative role for three seasons before taking his first step as an assistant coach with Eastern Michigan (2005-06). He has also served as an assistant at Murray State (2006-07) and UAB (2007-09).
May and his wife, Anna, have three sons, Jack (guard on the Florida men’s basketball team), Charlie (guard on the UCF men's basketball team) and Eli.
In April of 2023, May and Florida Atlantic reached an agreement on a 10-year contract extension.
The May resume is well-decorated, as he was named the CBS Sports National Coach of the Year, as well as the NABC All-District 17 Coach of the Year, Conference USA Coach of the Year and Palm Beach County Coach of the Year. May is the Owls’ all-time leader in coaching wins with a record of 101-60, despite having only been on the FAU sidelines for five seasons. FAU has not had a losing season in the five years of the May era. The Owls also captured the Conference USA Tournament and Regular Season Championships, both for the first time in school history.
Under May's guidance, the 2022-23 Owls posted the most wins in school history, the most conference wins in school & C-USA history (18) the longest winning streak in school history and the third-longest streak in C-USA history (20 games). The 35 wins from the Owls were the most in all of NCAA Division I in the '22-23 season and are only three short of the all-time record of 38.
May led Florida Atlantic to a collection of program records, including points (3,035) field goals made (1,084) 3-pointers made (375) rebounds (1,519) and assists (562). He coached Johnell Davis to C-USA Sixth Player of the Year, First Team All-C-USA and NABC First Team All-District recognition. Alijah Martin joined Davis on the All-C-USA First Team and also was named to NABC Second Team All-District honors. FAU closed out the season ranked No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches poll.
In March 2018, May accepted the challenge of building the Florida Atlantic University’s men’s basketball program into a team that will consistently compete on the national stage.
“Dusty was my number one choice, and I am thrilled to have him lead our men’s basketball program,” said Brian White. “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.”
The 2021-22 campaign saw the Owls finish 19-15 to rack up the fifth-most wins in a single season at FAU, which included a trip to the Roman College Basketball Invitational (CBI), the program’s fourth-ever postseason tournament appearance. Alijah Martin earned All-Conference USA Third Team honors and Michael Forrest was named to the NABC All-District Team, the first for the Owls in nine seasons. Throughout a stretch of the season, the Owls were on a 10-game home winning streak, being just one of 23 teams in the nation with 10+ straight wins at home. FAU’s school-record 11 C-USA wins helped the team earn the third seed in the C-USA Tournament. The Owls went on to earn their fourth consecutive win at the opening/second round of the C-USA Tournament with their dominant 86-59 win over Southern Miss.
The 2020-21 season was another winning campaign, as May became the first coach since the program joined Division I to earn three consecutive winning seasons. The Owls again notched a win at the C-USA Tournament. The team was at the top of the league and among the nation's leaders in total rebounds (first, and No. 9 in the nation), offensive rebounding (first and 29th), rebounding margin (first and 13th), 3-point percentage (first and 16th), scoring margin (second and 20th), 3-pointers made (third and 17th), scoring (third and 38th) and field goal percentage (third and 59th).
In his second year, May led the Owls to their second winning season in a row, the first time that happened since the 1996-97 season. FAU won 14 home games, while averaging 71.1 points per game, its highest average in nearly a decade. May also became the fastest FAU coach to reach 30 wins at the D-I level and collected 16 C-USA wins and 34 overall wins in his first two seasons at the helm. May capped off the campaign by leading the Owls to a 66-56 win over Old Dominion at the C-USA Tournament. The victory was the first in-bracket, neutral site conference tournament win for FAU since 2002.
In his first season at the helm, May led the Owls to a winning record for the first time since 2011 and an appearance in the College Insider Tournament (CIT), the third postseason appearance in school history. Graduate forward Xavian Stapleton was named C-USA Co-Sixth Man of the Year and senior guard Anthony Adger made the All C-USA Third Team. For his efforts, May was a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the best first year coach in Division I. As a team, the Owls set records for rebounds, rebounds per game and free throw percentage.
May spent the previous seven seasons on Mike White’s coaching staffs, first at Louisiana Tech University for four seasons and then with the University of Florida. White is the older brother of Brian White, who was named FAU’s vice president and director of athletics on March 3, 2018.
May joined FAU after three years as an assistant coach at Florida, where he helped the Gators compile a 69-37 record, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. The Gators reached the second round of this year’s tournament after advancing to the Elite Eight in 2017. As a full-time assistant, May’s teams compiled a 274-166 record (.623 winning percentage). In their first season in Gainesville, the Gators rebounded from a sub-.500 record to finish 21-15 and advance to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
“The opportunity to recruit in such a fertile region, the momentum this university is enjoying and the enormous potential here are ideal starting points,” said May. “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.”
May was retained as an assistant at Louisiana Tech when Mike White took over the program entering the 2011-12 season, and the Bulldogs won three straight conference championships – the Western Athletic Conference title in 2013 and C-USA crowns in 2014 and 2015.
May served six seasons (2009-15) as assistant coach and associate head coach at Louisiana Tech. In his final season with the Bulldogs, the team went 27-9, including 15-3 in C-USA to win the regular season championship by two games, and went 17-0 on its home court. LA Tech won 49 of 50 home games from February 2012 through the end of the 2014-15 season.
May was a student manager for the Indiana University men’s basketball team and after graduating, he began his professional career as an administrative assistant/video coordinator at USC from 2000-02. He returned to Indiana in an administrative role for three seasons before taking his first step as an assistant coach with Eastern Michigan (2005-06). He has also served as an assistant at Murray State (2006-07) and UAB (2007-09).
May and his wife, Anna, have three sons, Jack (guard on the Florida men’s basketball team), Charlie (guard on the UCF men's basketball team) and Eli.
May's Head Coaching File
| Season | School | Record | Accomplishments |
| 2018-19 | FAU | 17-16 | 2018-19 Joe B. Hall Award finalist; CIT appearance |
| 2019-20 | FAU | 17-15 | C-USA Quarterfinals |
| 2020-21 | FAU | 13-10 | C-USA Quarterfinals |
| 2021-22 | FAU | 19-15 | C-USA Quarterfinals; CBI appearance |
| 2022-23 | FAU | 35-4 | NCAA Final Four Appearance, Conference USA Champions |
| Total | 5 seasons | 101-60 |
Inside the Owls Burrow 2025-26 #4
Thursday, September 04
Inside the Owls Burrow 2025-26 #3
Friday, August 29
Inside the Owls Burrow 2025-26 #2
Friday, August 22
Inside the Owls Burrow 2025-26 #1
Thursday, August 14
