INDIANAPOLIS — It’s hard enough to be the coach of one team in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. It’s another feat altogether to do so while also starting a head coaching job at a different school.
Assistant coaches at both Michigan and UConn, who will face off in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship on Monday, have been engaged in that grueling balancing act. UConn assistant coach Luke Murray and Michigan assistant coach Justin Joyner have already started jobs as head coaches at other schools: Murray is the new head coach at Boston College; Joyner will lead Oregon State.
It’s a necessary evil in the era of the unrestricted transfer portal, where head coaches must be installed before April 7, when the portal opens. If they aren’t, they risk losing key opportunities for roster construction.
Boston College announced Murray’s hire on March 26, the day before UConn faced Michigan State in the Sweet 16. Then, after UConn’s historic comeback win against Duke, Murray took a trip to Boston. He held an introductory press conference on BC’s campus two days after the Elite Eight game; the next day, he went back to Storrs and traveled with the team to Indianapolis for the Final Four.
“Luke is unique because he doesn’t sleep anyway,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley told reporters Friday before the Final Four. “He’s doing a great job of just balancing his responsibilities of getting a staff hired, starting to figure out his roster, while also being prepared to have us ready for Monday, if we’re fortunate enough to be playing. But he’s obsessed. He’s a sick, obsessed guy that doesn’t need much sleep, so he’s able to balance it pretty good.”
Joyner has been pulling double duty for even longer than Murray. Oregon State announced his hire on March 11, two days before Michigan started its Big Ten tournament run. He held his introductory press conference on Monday, March 16—the day after Selection Sunday.
“It honestly fluctuates hour to hour,” Joyner said in response to a question from Front Office Sports. “When I’m here my focus is the University of Michigan and our basketball team. But if i have some down time, if I have an hour to get on the phone, to get on the Zoom, to connect with our staff, to watch film with potential portal prospects—I’m gonna dive into that.”
Both Michigan head coach Dusty May and UConn’s Hurley have fully supported the new opportunities their assistants have chosen to take, despite the timing.
May said that at one point, he told Joyner: “I think it’s very fair for you to stay here and still bring your personality and your coaching to the equation. But as far as the details and the 15 hours of scouting an opponent, I think you should use that time to get off to a great start for Oregon State.” He said Joyner has asked to continue his scouting duties with the program.
“We’ve had him going up, going out west, coming back, but we also felt like it’s very important for him to finish the job with us, and he’s done both roles really well,” May said. “They’re off to a great start in Corvallis, and he continues to do an amazing job with our guys.”
But for the two assistants, the hours of working two jobs are drawing to a close. On Monday night, both Murray and Joyner will help lead their respective programs in UConn and Michigan for the last time. Then, they’ll jet off to their new roles as head coaches.
Alex Schiffer contributed reporting.
