The Dallas Mavericks have just made a bold move after a 26-56 season. The team is hiring a National Championship-winning college coach to take over in 2026-27.
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According to ESPN, Michigan's Dusty May is finalizing a deal to move up to the NBA and take over the Dallas Mavericks. He will replace Jason Kidd, the coach that the Mavericks fired after a losing season.
May, 49, comes to the NBA after two seasons at the University of Michigan. He led the Wolverines to a 64-13 record while winning the National Championship last season. The team reached the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal in May's first season.
Prior to taking over at Michigan, May led the Florida Atlantic program for six seasons. He led the team to a 126-69 record and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The team reached the Final Four 2022-23 after going 35-4.
May will take over a roster led by Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, who averaged 21 points while starting all 70 games in which he appeared.
The focus for the new head coach will be getting the Mavericks back to a point of prominence. The NBA team last won the NBA title in 2010-11. It has only reached the playoffs eight times since and the NBA Finals once (2023-24).
The NBA team also made a controversial move in February 2025 by trading star player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. This led to the Mavericks firing general manager Nico Harrison.
Michigan for comparison, will now have to suddenly pivot after a championship season. The team expected to have May back in charge of the program in 2026-27, but this will no longer happen.
Michigan can either promote an assistant coach, or the team can seek someone outside the building who can come in and prevent the players from entering the transfer portal. Either way, the team's goal will be to remain in championship contention despite losing May to the NBA.
