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South Carolina basketball alum, former assistant, wins national championship as Michigan assistant

Screenshotby: Kevin Miller04/07/26kevinmillerGC

South Carolina basketball alum Mike Boynton has won a national title. On Monday night, Boynton, now an assistant at Michigan, helped the Wolverines to a victory over the UConn Huskies in the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game.

The 2025-2026 season was the second for Boynton in Ann Arbor. Before his time with the Wolverines, he was the head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys for seven years. Prior to that, Boynton had stints as an assistant coach at South Carolina, Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin, Wofford, Coastal Carolina, and Furman.

Many around college basketball have given Boynton a lot of credit for his work on head coach Dusty May’s staff. As May’s top assistant, Boynton has especially earned significant kudos for his work with Michigan’s defense and the program’s recruiting efforts.

Boynton is viewed by many as a power conference head coaching candidate ahead of this offseason.

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Boynton played at South Carolina from 2000-2004 under head coaches Eddie Fogler and Dave Odom. Boynton was a reserve and a part-time starter for three seasons in Columbia. Then, as a senior, he started for the Gamecocks, leading USC to the NCAA Tournament and a spot inside the final 2003-2004 AP Top 25.

The 6-2 guard was a three-point specialist and a capable facilitator. He defended hard and was a well-liked teammate, something that translated to his coaching career. Boynton immediately jumped into coaching following his graduation.

After four years as an assistant at smaller programs in the Palmetto State, Boynton joined the coaching staff at his alma mater ahead of the 2008-2009 season. He coached in Columbia for four years under head coach Darrin Horn. Then, Frank Martin retained Boynton for his fifth season at South Carolina.

Boynton followed fellow USC assistant Brad Underwood to Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State before becoming the headman in Stillwater. He led seven years at OSU before joining the Michigan staff.

The Insiders Forum: Discuss South Carolina basketball!