The Dallas Mavericks are finalizing a deal to hire Michigan coach Dusty May as their next head coach, NBA.com News Services reported Monday, citing multiple reports.
The wording matters because Dallas had not framed the move as a completed announcement in the NBA.com report. The story said May is expected to soon sign with the Mavericks after leading Michigan to the 2026 NCAA championship.
May Would Enter A Rebuilt Dallas Front Office
The expected hire would continue a major reset in Dallas. NBA.com reported that Jason Kidd was let go in May after five seasons, two weeks after the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as president of basketball operations and alternate governor. Dallas also named Mike Schmitz general manager, giving the club a new front-office and coaching structure around its next phase.
May would inherit a roster headlined by Cooper Flagg, the reigning Kia Rookie of the Year. NBA.com noted that Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3, 2025, missed the 2025-26 season and is expected to be back in the fold.
That is a real basketball job, not just a headline. Dallas missed the playoffs in 2024-25 and 2025-26 after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, and Kidd's exit left the franchise looking for a coach aligned with a reshaped personnel operation.
Michigan Title Run Drives NBA Jump
May's case is built on the last four seasons more than a long NBA bench resume. NBA.com reported that he led Michigan to a 34-3 season and the 2026 national title, capped by a 69-63 championship-game win over UConn in April.
The Wolverines also became the first team to score at least 90 points in five consecutive NCAA Tournament games, according to the NBA.com report. Before Michigan, May took Florida Atlantic to a 35-4 season and the 2023 Final Four, where the Owls lost 72-71 to San Diego State in the national semifinals.
May went 64-13 in two seasons at Michigan after replacing Juwan Howard. His first team there finished 27-10, won the Big Ten Conference Tournament and reached the Sweet 16 before the championship season pushed him from college fast-riser to NBA target.
Across his last four college seasons, May went 124-26. NBA.com listed that .827 winning percentage as third among major college men's basketball coaches over that span, behind Kelvin Sampson and Jon Scheyer.
For Dallas, the attraction is not hard to identify: May brings recent player-development credibility, a modern offensive reputation and championship momentum. The next checkpoint is formal. Until the Mavericks announce it, this remains a reported deal being finalized rather than a completed club release.