Michigan's Dusty May to become next head coach of the Mavericks
DALLAS - Former Michigan head coach Dusty May has agreed to become the next coach in Dallas, a person with knowledge of the move confirmed to The Dallas Morning News, bringing an end to a monthlong search just in time for the NBA draft this week.
The Mavericks are expected to officially announce May's hiring Monday, making the Portland Trail Blazers the only NBA team with a coaching vacancy.
May, who won a national championship at Michigan this year, will become Dallas' 11th coach in franchise history and will inherit a team with a promising young centerpiece in Cooper Flagg and a savvy veteran in Kyrie Irving, a duo new president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has said he wants to see on the court next season.
Ujiri led the coaching search with the assistance of new general manager Mike Schmitz.
May, 49, follows Ujiri's track record of hiring coaches without previous NBA head coaching experience, but it's the first time he's hired a candidate from the college ranks. Both Nick Nurse and Darko Rajajovic were prominent NBA assistants before Ujiri hired them for the Toronto Raptors' last two coaching vacancies.
May arrives with a bevy of experience as an NCAA head coach. He spent six years as coach of Florida Atlantic from 2018-24 and led the program to the Final Four in 2023. He started his college coaching career as an assistant with Eastern Michigan (2005-06), followed by stints at Murray State (2006-07), UAB (2007-09), Louisiana Tech (2009-15) and Florida (2015-18).
He graduated from Indiana, Mavericks minority shareholder Mark Cuban's alma mater.
"I met him way back when he worked as a student manager and video coach," Cuban told The News in an email Monday. "I'm sure he will do a great job."
May's leap to the NBA may come as a surprise because he agreed to a contract extension at Michigan after leading the Wolverines to their first national title since 1989 in his second season as coach. Michigan is projected to have three players drafted in the first round Tuesday: Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara.
By hiring May on Monday, the Mavericks have positioned him to be involved in several key decisions to be made over the next few weeks, starting with the draft. Dallas has two first-round picks Tuesday, Nos. 9 and 30, and No. 48 in the second round Wednesday. The front office could explore trade options in either direction.
The Mavericks had been looking for a new head coach since parting ways with Jason Kidd following the end of a 2025-26 season that began with postseason expectations but ended with a 26-56 record. The Mavericks have missed the playoffs for two straight seasons after making it to the NBA Finals in 2024.
The Mavericks conducted a comprehensive search over the last month, reportedly considering prominent league assistants and NCAA candidates, including Flagg's college coach at Duke, Jon Scheyer.
Dallas also reportedly interviewed Houston assistant coach Royal Ivey, Toronto assistant Jama Mahlalela, Minnesota assistant Micah Nori, Boston assistant Tony Dobbins, Brooklyn assistant Steve Hetzel, Miami consultant Noah LaRoche and three-time former NBA head coach Terry Stotts, who served as a Mavericks assistant for four seasons.
Ultimately, the front office landed on May, who'll have a chance to replicate his college championship pedigree in the big leagues.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 1:29 PM.