Michigan head coach Dusty May is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Mavericks, per ESPN.
May, 49, led the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1989 this past season, his second year in Ann Arbor after joining from FAU. He compiled a 64-13 record, a Big Ten Tournament championship, a Big Ten regular-season title and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Mavericks are hiring Michigan’s Dusty May as their new head coach. NCAA Photos via Getty ImagesAccording to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, May likes the idea of coaching Cooper Flagg as the center of the Mavericks’ future.
May replaces Jason Kidd, who was fired by new team president Masai Ujiri.
It marks the first NBA job for May, who worked his way up from a former Indiana basketball manager, making multiple stops on his way to becoming known as one of the best roster-construction coaches in college basketball.
After reaching the NBA Finals in 2024, Kidd and the Mavericks failed to make the playoffs over the last two seasons.
The Mavericks have completely flipped the program over in recent years, starting with an ownership change in 2023 when Mark Cuban sold his majority stake to the Adelson and Dumont families.
The team raised a lot of eyebrows in 2025 when, fresh off an NBA Finals appearance, it executed a three-way trade, giving up Luka Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round draft pick.
Dusty May coaching Michigan during the national championship game against UConn. Getty ImagesThe move ultimately led to the firing of general manager Nico Harrison after months of fan disappointment.
The front office has completely changed since, and Ujiri, the former Raptors president, was hired to “restore not only the championship caliber of the franchise.”
The Mavericks have the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but have shown signs of moving back through working out a wide variety of prospects.
If they choose to stay, three of May’s former players in Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr., and Yaxel Lendeborg are expected to go in the first round and could be up for a reunion with their former head coach.
As for May, the move is unexpected.
During the national championship parade, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel announced he had agreed to a deal with Michigan for “many years to come.”
That deal was never announced, though, and was not signed at the time of the proclamation, according to ESPN.
NCAA rules allow a 15-day transfer portal window for Michigan players to leave following the coaching change. The Wolverines recently brought in the No. 12 transfer class in 2026 and the No. 4 high school class, according to 247Sports.
The Wolverines are working toward hiring Mike Boynton Jr. as interim coach, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Monday.
