DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are putting the finishing touches on an agreement to bring college basketball’s hottest coach to the NBA, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke to the Associated Press on Monday. The source requested anonymity since the deal had not yet been officially completed.
The coach in question is Dusty May, who just guided Michigan to an NCAA national title — the program’s first since 1989 — with a 69-63 win over UConn in April, capping a remarkable 34-3 season. The Wolverines also made history at the start of that NCAA Tournament run by becoming the first team ever to score 90 or more points in five straight tournament games.
May’s rise to national prominence actually began a few years earlier, when he took Florida Atlantic to its only Final Four appearance. The Owls returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2024 before May departed for Michigan.
Now 49 years old, May steps into the role vacated by Jason Kidd, who was dismissed two weeks after Masai Ujiri came on board as president of basketball operations and alternate governor of the Mavericks.
The opportunity ahead of May is significant. He’ll have the chance to develop Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and reigning Rookie of the Year. Veteran guard Kyrie Irving is also on the roster, though he missed the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his ACL in March of last year.
May’s coaching journey began as a college assistant at Murray State in 2005-06. He went on to work on staffs at UAB, Louisiana Tech, and Florida before landing his first head coaching position at Florida Atlantic.
His tenure at FAU peaked during the 2022-23 season, when the Owls went 35-4 and made their magical Final Four run — only to fall 72-71 to San Diego State when Lamont Butler hit a buzzer-beater in the national semifinals.
At last month’s NBA draft combine, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg — who played under May and is projected to be a lottery pick in Thursday night’s first round — spoke glowingly about his former coach.
