Dusty May thought he ‘committed career suicide’ taking Florida Atlantic job
Florida Atlantic men’s basketball coach Dusty May has led the ninth-seeded Owls to their first Final Four in program history, but there was a point where he wanted out.
May was named head coach at Florida Atlantic in March 2018, nearly five years to the day from the Owls’ improbable March Madness run. He told CBS Sports that he signed the contract to become a first-time head coach at the university sight unseen.
He instantly regretted it.
“I walk in the room and I started crying and said, ‘I just committed career suicide. I’m not good enough. I can’t do this,'” May recalled telling his wife after signing the contract. “I’m not a big crier, but I burst into tears like a baby.”
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May said he started feeling buyer’s remorse after he saw the team’s facilities. The locker rooms were small. The arena only sat 2,500 people. Both were outdated, compared to what the former Florida assistant was used to under Gators coach Mike White. (Mike White is now the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs’ men’s basketball team.)
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FAU will play No. 5 San Diego State in the Final Four in Houston on Saturday.