INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – APRIL 06: Head coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines cuts down the net after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the National Championship of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 06, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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Fresh off leading Michigan to the NCAA championship, Dusty May is headed to the NBA as the new head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
ESPN first reported the news Monday morning.
May replaces Jason Kidd, whom the Mavericks fired last month with more than $40 million remaining on his contract.
May, 49, has a career mark of 190-82 during his tenure at Florida Atlantic and Michigan. He led FAU to the Final Four in 2023 before leading Michigan to its first NCAA title since 1989.
He will take over a team that went 26-56 last season but reached the NBA Finals in 2024.
They are led by Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft and the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year.
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” team president Masai Ujiri said when Kidd was fired. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention. We will conduct a thorough, disciplined search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard Mavs fans expect and deserve.”
College coaches jumping to the NBA have had mixed results, with coaches like Billy Donovan and John Calipari not enjoying great success after making the jump.
UConn coach Dan Hurley, who has won two of the last four NCAA titles and who led the Huskies to the championship game this year, famously turned down the L.A. Lakers job two years ago to remain at UConn.
The Mavericks likely hope Dusty May can fashion a career similar to Brad Stevens, whom the Boston Celtics hired out of Butler in 2013 before leading the Celtics to three Eastern Conference Finals appearances and ultimately becoming team president of an NBA championship team.
The Mavericks own the Nos. 9, 30 and 48 picks in this week’s NBA Draft.