In his past four seasons, Dusty May has won a combined 124 games, posted a pair of 35-win seasons and led two different programs to the Final Four and won Michigan’s first national championship since 1989.
Since Florida Atlantic’s miraculous Final Four run in 2023, May’s profile has grown to the point where his name is near the top of every list of college basketball’s best coaches.
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This much is certain: At $3.73 million in total compensation for this season, May definitely provides the best bang for your buck of any coach in the country.
USA TODAY Sports compiled pay information from each school in the Power Four conferences and from each school outside those conferences whose team has appeared in at least three of the past five NCAA tournaments.
May is atop the list of the country’s most underpaid coaches:
Dusty May, Michigan
Coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines watches “One Shinning Moment” after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the National Championship of the 2026 NCAA … Show more
Michael Reaves, Getty Images
May’s compensation for this season is an incredible deal given how he’s transformed the Wolverines back into the best team in the Big Ten and a national champion. While he’s due for a major pay raise this spring, especially after the interest from North Carolina, May currently provides what is easily the best return on investment of any coach in our survey for this season.
Pat Kelsey, Louisville
Kelsey inherited an absolute mess at Louisville but has immediately returned the program to the top rung of the ACC. After going 12-52 in the two years prior to his arrival, the Cardinals are a combined 51-19 under Kelsey with two tournament appearances, including a trip to this season’s second round. Overall, he has just one losing record in 14 seasons as a college head coach and has made five of the past six tournaments while at Winthrop, Charleston and Louisville. Kelsey made $3.35 million in compensation this year, fourth among ACC coaches.
Ryan Odom, Virginia
Virginia was facing uncertain times with the retirement of Tony Bennett in October of 2024. Odom arrived last March and overhauled the program’s offensive scheme in his first season and led the Cavaliers to a 30-6 record, a second-place finish in the ACC and a trip to the second round before bowing out against Tennessee. He’s now made the tournament at four different spots (UMBC, Utah State, VCU and Virginia). In addition to being maybe the best hire of last offseason, Odom earned $3.28 million in 2025-26 ranked fifth in the ACC.
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Mike White, Georgia
White’s work at Georgia has slipped through the cracks despite leading the Bulldogs to two tournament berths in a row for just the fourth time in program history. While he made four tournament trips at Florida, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2017, getting the Bulldogs to a combined 42 wins the past two years represents the best coaching job of White’s career. Up next will be actually winning a postseason game after getting bumped by Saint Louis in this season’s opening round. But given his recent record and the fact his $3.91 million salary in 2025-26 ranked 11th in the SEC, White has been the league’s most underpaid coach.
Johnny Dawkins, Central Florida
At $2.1 million, Dawkins’ salary ranks last among Big 12 coaches in our survey. That’s a great deal for a coach who rewarded UCF’s patience by leading the Knights to 21 wins and a tournament bid this season, his second overall with the program and first since 2019. After hitting a lull after the first postseason bid, UCF has rallied since joining the Big 12 in 2023 with three winning seasons in a row and back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time since 2012-13.
