Michigan men’s basketball NCAA tournament first round press conference
Vladislav Goldin, Roddy Gayle Jr. and Tre Donaldson Michigan players discuss mentality in high-stakes moments
DENVER − With three decades of coaching experience under his belt, Texas A&M’s Buzz WIlliams has seen it all.
From Texas-Arlington, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Northwestern State and Colorado State to New Orleans, Marquette, Virginia Tech and now Texas A&M, Williams has been around more types of coaches and styles than he can count.
He admitted he likes to study coaches in general and in his mind Michigan basketball’s coach, Dusty May, who the Aggies will face head-to-head Saturday with a Sweet 16 berth on the line (5:15 EST, CBS), is one of the best.
“Obviously coach (May) is a genius,” Williams said Friday. “He’s had an unbelievable start to what will end up being a Hall of Fame career. He represents all that’s right about college athletics…I think they’ve done a great job thus far.”
Williams also rattled off his knowledge of May’s career-path, how he was at Louisiana Tech and then Florida under Mike White as he climbed the ranks to one of the most brand-recognizable jobs in the nation.
It’s not easy to land one of those premiere positions, but after a stint as a student manager and graduate assistant at Indiana, he cut his teeth at places like Eastern Michigan, Murray State, Louisiana Tech, Florida and FAU. That all led to this moment now, which Williams says is an invaluable spot to be in.
“I think at his age, for him to have a brand-premier job like Michigan, I think it sets you up,” he said. “Particularly in the industry the way that it is now, to have that level of job at that age with those level of resources.”
Williams and May have overlapped before, when May and Florida Atlantic topped Texas A&M 96-89 in a non-conference clash in Orlando last season. Williams has led three different programs to the NCAA tournament and if he wins Saturday, will advance to the fifth Sweet 16 of his career.
May, of course, has also been to a Sweet 16, when he led Florida Atlantic on a Final Four run in 2023. But for Williams, what really sticks out about May is his ability to shape shift. He commented on how May’s style is unique, blending various elements of FIBA and the European game. Plus, he has the temperament that is needed in this new era of college athletics.
“I think that he has the skill set and the appropriate demeanor to be able to handle all of the ever-changing things that the industry has brought,” Williams said. “He’s young enough in his career and has the energy on those things he can’t control. …
“I mean, 14-6 in the Big Ten is really, really good. I don’t use those words (Hall-of-Fame) flippantly.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
