Just two months after guiding Michigan to a national championship, Dusty May is leaving the Wolverines to become the next head coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, according to multiple reports Monday.
For many Louisiana Tech fans, the move marks another milestone for a coach who spent six seasons on the Bulldogs’ bench and helped guide one of the most successful stretches in program history.
May compiled a 64-13 record in two seasons at Michigan and guided the Wolverines to their first NCAA championship since 1989. The 49-year-old is reportedly set to replace Jason Kidd and make his first move into the NBA.
Long before national titles and NBA opportunities, May spent six seasons in Ruston working under both Kerry Rupp and Mike White from 2009-15. Hired by Rupp, May remained on staff when White was hired to replace Rupp as head coach and he eventually became associate head coach.
Those years coincided with one of the most successful eras in Louisiana Tech basketball history.
May helped the Bulldogs capture the 2012-13 Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship as Tech finished 27-7 overall and 16-2 in league play. The following season, the Bulldogs went 29-8, tied the school record for victories and shared the Conference USA regular-season title in the program’s first season in the league. Tech also advanced to the C-USA Tournament championship game and came within one victory of reaching the National Invitation Tournament Final Four.
When White accepted the Florida job in 2015, May followed him to Gainesville and spent three seasons with the Gators before earning his first head coaching opportunity at Florida Atlantic.
At FAU, May engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college basketball. He guided the Owls to the 2023 Final Four and became the winningest coach in school history before Michigan hired him in March 2024 to replace Juwan Howard.
His impact in Ann Arbor was immediate.
Michigan won the Big Ten Tournament in his first season and followed that with a 37-3 campaign and a national championship in 2025-26. The Wolverines had assembled one of the nation’s top recruiting classes and transfer portal groups heading into next season, making May’s departure one of the most surprising moves of the offseason.
The opportunity to coach reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg reportedly played a role in May’s decision. Dallas is looking to rebound after parting ways with Jason Kidd following a 26-56 season and turned to one of basketball’s fastest-rising coaches.
From six seasons on Louisiana Tech’s bench to the Final Four, a national championship and now the NBA, May’s coaching journey has taken him to the highest level of the sport.
