Dusty May Set to Take Over as Dallas Mavericks Coach

The Dallas Mavericks are expected to soon announce Dusty May as their new head coach, ESPN reported. The Michigan coach is in the final stages of completing a deal and is set to replace Jason Kidd, who was fired after a disappointing season in which Dallas finished 26-56.

May, 49, is coming off a dream season that ended with Michigan winning the NCAA championship. In two seasons in Ann Arbor, he compiled a 64-13 record. Before that, he led Florida Atlantic to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the 2023 Final Four.

If finalized, the move would make May the first college coach to jump directly to the NBA since John Beilein left Michigan for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019. In Dallas, he is expected to guide the franchise’s next era, built around Cooper Flagg, the NBA Rookie of the Year last season after averaging 21 points per game.

May’s departure would also shake up Michigan, which had been viewed as a leading contender to repeat as national champion. Under NCAA rules, hiring a new coach opens a special transfer window for players to reconsider their futures, while the university must decide whether to promote from within or hire externally. May began as an assistant at Murray State, Louisiana Tech and Florida, then became Florida Atlantic’s head coach in 2018. Over his last four seasons as a college head coach, he posted a 124-26 record, making him one of the sport’s most sought-after coaches.