On Monday morning, it was reported by ESPN that Michigan men’s basketball coach Dusty May has agreed to become the next coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
May’s accelerated jump to the pros comes two months after he led the Wolverines to their second-ever national championship, two months in which NBA rumors continuously swirled around the up-and-coming coach. May is the first college head coach to leave for an NBA head job since Michigan’s own John Beilein in 2019.
Since leading FAU to a Final Four in 2023, May’s name has been rapidly gaining steam in offseason coaching carousels. He came to the Wolverines one season later and deep into his second season’s championship run, was deflecting questions about fleeing for the opening at North Carolina. Those questions turned into reported interest from several NBA teams in the offseason.
How athletic director Warde Manuel fills May’s shoes remains to be seen. The departure comes late with most hires across college basketball already having been made. Michigan has a number of experienced assistant coaches on staff, including several who have worked with May for years and one former power conference head coach in Mike Boynton Jr., who previously held the Oklahoma State job.
A coaching change also means that players will have another chance to explore their options in the transfer portal. Following a five-day buffer period once the Wolverines announce a new head coach, Michigan players will have a 15-day window to enter the portal. Key returners like junior guard Elliot Cadeau and freshman guard Trey McKenney, as well as the three incoming transfers, will be able to reconsider where they want to spend their next season now that the scenery has changed.
Despite spending just two seasons with the Wolverines, May’s track record in Ann Arbor — a 19-win improvement and Big Ten Tournament title in his first year, along with a Big Ten regular season title and national championship in his second — means his name is almost certainly cemented in Michigan legend however he exited.
In the short-term, though, he leaves the Wolverines with newfound uncertainty on the heels of reaching the sport’s apex.
