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St. Louis Today
By the People, for the People
Michigan, Saint Louis Coaches Dusty May and Josh Schertz Shaped by Friendship
The two coaches have a close relationship and often exchange practice footage and ideas.
Mar. 21, 2026 at 12:00pm
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Dusty May, the head coach of the 1-seed Michigan Wolverines, and Josh Schertz, the head coach of the 9-seed Saint Louis Billikens, have a close friendship that has developed over the years as they've coached at different levels. The two often share practice footage and playbooks, an uncommon level of trust that has been built through years of exchanging ideas and learning from each other. Their teams will meet in the NCAA tournament's round of 32, with a Sweet 16 berth on the line.
Why it matters
The close relationship between May and Schertz is unusual in the competitive world of college basketball, where coaches often keep information close to the vest. Their willingness to share resources and ideas speaks to the mutual respect and camaraderie they've developed over the years, which has helped shape their coaching philosophies and approaches.
The details
May and Schertz first connected when May was scouting a player leaving Schertz's Division II program at Lincoln Memorial. The two coaches hit it off and have maintained a close friendship, even as their careers have taken them to different levels of the sport. They often exchange practice footage and playbook ideas, with May joking that he'll just text Schertz's video coordinator directly to get the latest workouts. The two have spent hours in May's office just talking about the game, and Schertz has called May an "incredible resource" as he's navigated his first season as a Division I head coach.
- The Michigan-Saint Louis matchup will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 12:10 p.m. ET.
- Both teams won their first-round NCAA tournament games on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
The players
Dusty May
The head coach of the 1-seed Michigan Wolverines, in his second season with the program.
Josh Schertz
The head coach of the 9-seed Saint Louis Billikens, also in his second season with the program and making his first NCAA Division I tournament appearance.
What they’re saying
“It's probably very unusual [to share practice footage]. There's a group of us that share -- and actually, he and I -- we're close enough where I don't even call him. I'll shoot his video guy, or he'll shoot my video guy a text and say, 'Can you send me last week's workouts?' We're toying with this, we're thinking about this concept. It might just spur an idea.”
— Dusty May, Head Coach, Michigan Wolverines
“It's always nice when you have somebody who's in the same chair as you. It's hard. Sometimes being a head coach can be lonely. ... [May has] been an incredible resource for me.”
— Josh Schertz, Head Coach, Saint Louis Billikens
What’s next
The winner of the Michigan-Saint Louis matchup will advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
The takeaway
The close friendship and mutual respect between Dusty May and Josh Schertz, despite being competitors on the court, is a testament to the camaraderie that can exist in the coaching ranks. Their willingness to share resources and ideas has helped shape their coaching philosophies and approaches, and their matchup in the NCAA tournament's round of 32 promises to be a chess match between two well-prepared and like-minded coaches.
