Dusty May Appointed Head Coach of Dallas Mavericks

2 days ago 0

The Dallas Mavericks have hired Dusty May as their new head coach, transitioning him from the college level to the NBA, according to a source confirmed by The Athletic.

May recently led Michigan to a national championship in April, following an impressive performance with Florida Atlantic in the 2023 NCAA Final Four. He will now head a Mavericks team that includes the reigning Rookie of the Year, Cooper Flagg.

At 49, May’s journey in basketball began as a student manager under the tutelage of renowned coach Bob Knight at Indiana. Over the years, he climbed the collegiate coaching ranks, securing his first head coaching role at Florida Atlantic in 2018. His tenure there was marked by a 60-13 record in his final two seasons. In 2024, he moved to Michigan, achieving notable success. The Wolverines improved by 19 wins to a 27-10 record in the 2024-25 season. The following season, they posted a record of 37-3, triumphing over Connecticut to win the national championship. Three Michigan players, Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and Aday Mara, are projected to be first-round selections in this week’s NBA Draft.

Elise Devlin reports Michigan implemented a new strategy before securing their national championship victory. This proved instrumental to their success.

In May, the Mavericks’ president, Masai Ujiri, decided to part ways with coach Jason Kidd, who still had four years left on a contract exceeding $40 million. Ujiri committed to an extensive search to find Kidd’s replacement.

The Mavericks showed interest in San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney, according to league sources. However, Sweeney accepted a position as the Orlando Magic’s head coach. The team also interviewed Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, per reports.

Throughout the hiring process, Ujiri considered several college-level coaches, including Jon Scheyer from Duke and Todd Golden from Florida. Ultimately, he selected May, known for coaching one of the most dominant college teams last season.