Michigan added a familiar Ivy League name to its college basketball staff on Monday, hiring Brown head coach Mike Martin after his 13 seasons leading the program.
The move gives Michigan a coach who spent more than a decade building a Brown program that had its moments, even if the overall results were uneven. Martin went 171-202 at Brown, and the Bears were competitive at the top of the Ivy League at times, including a 62-61 loss to Yale in the 2024 Ivy League tournament championship.
What Michigan is getting
Martin arrives with a long track record in one of college basketball's most familiar mid-major leagues. Over the past two seasons, Brown went 9-19 in the Ivy League, and after the 2023-24 season, three of the team's five leading scorers transferred. That kind of roster turnover has become a regular part of the sport, and it makes coaching continuity especially valuable.
For Michigan, the hire adds an experienced voice as Dusty May continues to build out his staff. The program's structure has already been in motion this spring, with Mike Boynton receiving a two-year contract on Friday after serving as interim coach. Boynton and Kyle Church were still recruiting over the weekend in Las Vegas at the Nike EYBL event, underscoring how much staff-building remains part of the job.
Why it matters
Martin is 44 years old, so this is not simply a veteran hire for the sake of experience. It is a chance for Michigan to bring in a coach who has spent 13 seasons managing Ivy League rosters, developing players, and navigating a league where continuity and adaptability matter.
Michigan's recent staff activity shows a program trying to move quickly and build depth around its new direction. Martin's background at Brown gives the Wolverines another coach with a defined track record, and that can matter both on the recruiting trail and in daily roster development.
For Brown, the move closes a long chapter. For Michigan, it is another sign that the staff around Dusty May is taking shape.
