New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May responds to questions fro the media during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dusty May’s gargantuan leap from the NCAA to the NBA was just an idea during last month’s draft combine.
The former Michigan coach made the trip to Chicago with the primary purpose of supporting his trio of lottery picks as they prepared for the NBA draft.
However, May left the Windy City with interest from Dallas Mavericks executives Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz for one of the league’s most intriguing head coaching vacancies. Last Tuesday, the Mavericks concluded their extensive monthlong search by naming May their newest head coach.
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“I had full intentions of being back at Michigan no matter what,” May said Monday during his introductory news conference. “We had a great conversation that had nothing to do with this position.”
May is the man who led Michigan to its first national championship in 37 years, a feat that wouldn’t have been possible without his three best players in Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara, all of whom were selected in the first round of last week’s two-day draft.
Ujiri and Schmitz bumped into May during the combine and conversed about the three prospects since Dallas held the No. 9 pick — which resulted in the selection of Johnson. What came next was an overture about May’s potential interest in becoming the Mavericks’ next coach.
“My eyes went up and instantly I said, ‘This one checks all the boxes,’” May said.
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What exactly are those boxes, one might wonder?
The Mavericks have a new leadership structure under Ujiri and Schmitz alongside governor Patrick Dumont. May’s first impression of the Mavericks brass was their desire to be competitive and their sincere and “very healthy relationship.” He cited the roster’s healthy mixture of proven veterans and foundational young pieces, including Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington and Max Christie.
Not to mention the benefits of living in Texas, he said, since it has two international airports and no state income tax. But one of the biggest draws, he said, was emerging superstar Cooper Flagg, one of three Mavericks players who attended May’s news conference.
“I’ve never been in the NBA, but I have a lot of friends in the league,” May said. “I’ve studied the game. I’ve been to training camps for years, and a superstar who plays hard, who cares about his teammates, who’s incredibly unselfish, those things aren’t that common, according to others.”
Jon Scheyer recruited Flagg to play at Duke when May was the head coach at Florida Atlantic, long before he transformed the program into a national title contender, which limited how much May could interact with the high school phenom.
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“When you’re coaching at FAU and guys like Cooper are playing in one gym, you go to another gym and find some other guys,” May joked.
May might be a neophyte NBA head coach, but he arrives with 21 years of experience at the college level, including eight as a head coach. In six seasons with FAU and two with Michigan, he built a 190-82 coaching record with four NCAA tournament appearances and two Final Fours.
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May (right) arrives for his introductory press conference with President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri (left) at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May was given a ceremonial basketball following an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Mavericks player Cooper Flagg (center) visits with new head coach Dusty May’s sons Jack (left) and Charlie during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May was introduced during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas by President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May (center) posed for photos of his wife and sons (from left) Eli, Jack and Charlie following an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May responds to questions fro the media during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Mavericks irst-round draft pick Morez Johnson Jr. (right) listens to new head coach Dusty May during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Mavericks player Cooper Flagg listens to new head coach Dusty May during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May’s (left) family (from right) wife Anna May and sons Jack, Charlie and Eli listen during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May’s (left) family (from right) wife Anna May and sons Jack, Charlie and Eli listen during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May (left) is congratulated on his new position by President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May (at table, left) is congratulated on his new position by President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May (at table, left) is congratulated on his new position by President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Mavericks President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri introduced new head coach Dusty May during an introductory press conference at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, June 29, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
May is well aware of the history that follows him into his new position. Only one person has successfully coached teams to an NCAA title and an NBA championship: Larry Brown. The most recent college coach to make the leap to the NBA was former Michigan coach John Beilein, who did not finish the 2019-20 season, his first as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. A couple of notable outliers include Brad Stevens and Billy Donovan, but the track record for college coaches isn’t promising.
May said he’ll rely on Irving as the team’s lead veteran, along with his college coaching knowledge, to guide him.
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“The game is closer than ever,” May said. “College, NBA, the G League, stylistically, they all look very similar if you’re playing modern basketball. And as far as all the other things, you’re never ready. It’s like being a parent. You’re never ready, but you hopefully prepared and done everything in your power to tackle all the challenges.”
May said he believed he would coach Michigan “for many years to come,” especially after verbally agreeing to a new contract extension. He was asked if college basketball’s transition to operating more like a professional league — with name, image and likeness deals and the transfer portal — was a primary factor in his jump to the professional level.
“The big reason is the people in this facility, first and foremost,” May said. “It’s much more complicated than it used to be. I love teaching. I love coaching. I love being part of a team. In college basketball, you don’t get to do nearly as much of that as you used to. There are some things that I’m not going to miss about college basketball, but I wouldn’t be there without our players and staff. I had an unbelievable 25, 27 years in college athletics but I’m excited for this opportunity.”
May’s first task is to fill out his coaching staff. He expects to have a blended staff with experience spanning the college and NBA ranks. He also could retain members from Jason Kidd’s staff, but did not disclose who.
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Ujiri said May will have his full support when it comes to filling out his staff, and most important, he trusts May to restore something the franchise has missed the last two years.
“We want to bring joy back to basketball here,” Ujiri said. “It is a goal, and I know we’re going to do it. And I know the beginning of this joy and goal starts here, with this guy that we welcome here as our basketball coach, Dusty May.”