Dusty May Needs Another Hot March For Louisville to Consider Him

Dusty May was one of the hottest coaches in all of college basketball last year when Florida Atlantic University went to the final four, in what was a cinderella run for the Owls. May has had another good season in 2024, but it has not been as good as last year's team, even though most of the roster was brought back.

FAU did not win their conference championship this year, and the Owls lost to a struggling Temple team. However, the Owls still made it into the tourney as an 8 seed, and we will know by the end of weekend if May can get to the sweet sixteen or not.

The biggest obstacle in FAU and May's way? The number one overall seed Uconn Huskies.

FAU will face Northwestern in the first round and then will likely play Uconn in the round of 32 if they win. The Huskies have lost 3 games all year and it would surely be a huge feat for May if his team were to pull the upset.

A final four run was very impressive for May last season, but sustained success is what is needed at a job like Louisville. If May can't even get to the sweet sixteen in a year where he brought back most of the players from a final four team, then does he really deserve the job at Louisville? And more importantly, will Athletic Director Josh Heird offer him the job?

That is yet to be answered, but with May not winning more than 19 games before last season it is a question that should be asked by Johs Heird. After never winning more than 19 games in 4 years as the FAU coach, last season they won 35 and a final four, and this season they have won 25 with the tourney verdict yet to be reached.

If May does not get past the first weekend of the tourney it will be hard to see Heird hiring May, as he may see FAU's final four as a fluke run and not see him as a Louisville caliber coach. Heird may vouch for someone like Mick Cronin if that is the case. However, this all doesn't matter if Baylor's Scott Drew decides to come to Louisville to coach. Since he seems to be the unanimous #1 candidate on Louisville's mind right now.

If Scott Drew falls through for Josh Heird then he will look for other options. If Dusty May can at least make it to the sweet sixteen then he will be high on Heird's radar, and he likely already is.

It all comes down to what happens in March (as usual).