Golf Q&A: U-M Coach Dusty May

With Tom Lang

    Dusty May, the celebrated basketball head coach at Michigan, does enjoy the game of golf but is admittedly not a die-hard player like some of those we interview for Q&As. He sees the value of being outdoors with friends and family and playing a game people can do the rest of their lives. But he does not play enough at this stage of his life to measure a handicap.

    Question: Do you recall when you fell in love with the game of golf?

    Answer: “I never really had the time to play once I got into the coaching profession, but I have taken my son’s a few times and they fell in love with the sport. And now that I’m an empty-nester, I’m starting to find more time to play golf. For me it’s more about being outside, the camaraderie, the fellowship of what’s a beautiful sport.”

    Q: Is that why you introduced your kids to the game?

    A: “It was one of the many reasons. Another just  to be outside and in nature. The younger generations spend so much time on screens indoors, it’s a way to simply be outdoors in a beautiful setting, enjoy the weather and do something fun together.”

    Q: Do you see similarities between golf and basketball?

    A: “There are similarities. The amount of concentration, the focus, the amount of time it takes to be really good at your craft. There’s a lot of similarities along those lines.”

    Q: As a coach, think about if you could be a Ryder Cup captain, what might you do to motivate a team of individuals coming together?

    A: “Obviously in that situation you’re coaching the best of the best. And anytime you bring a group together just like we do every year (at U-M), you’re trying to get a group to put aside their own personal ambition for team goals, and it’s not as simple as it sounds. But when you recruit the right people and bring in the right guys, they are playing for something bigger than themselves. I think it would be very, very similar.

    “And anytime you have great leadership in the group and guys who model the behavior, and want to serve each other and be great teammates, it’s contagious.”

    Q: Do you have a golfing bucket list?

    A: “I’m not on that level yet. I have been to a few places this summer that impressed friends of mine who are avid golfers. I was able to play Michael Jordan’s Grove 23 in Florida. That was a pretty cool experience. I was able to play on of the great courses in Palm Springs. And we recruit every year in Augusta, so I drive past the course once a year. One of the biggest basketball tournaments is there, so we spend a week in Augusta every year.”

    Q: How tempted have you been to see if you could drive down Magnolia Lane when you drive by?

    A: “Very tempted,” said with a chuckle. “But it’s pretty well guarded. I have not been there (to watch the Masters as a fan), but I would certainly enjoy it.”

    Q: Any golf superstitions?

    A: “No, I’m not superstitious in anything that we do. I believe in the processes, and not in luck or gimmicks. That’s just not how I’m wired.”

    Q: Any golf pet peeves?

    A: “I’m still learning proper golf etiquette, because I’m usually out with the guys and we’re usually busting each other’s chops. When I go out for golf it’s more just to learn to hit the ball better, to grow, and also I think it helps put you in a good mental space. It’s a sport where you have to be in a flow, you have to have good focus and quiet eye techniques. But usually when I go out I look at it through a lens of how can it make me a better basketball coach.”