The Dallas Mavericks hired University of Michigan head coach Dusty May on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, just hours before the NBA Draft.
Dallas selected May's former player, forward/center Morez Johnson Jr., with the No. 9 overall pick later that evening.
The coaching transaction was completed shortly after Duke head coach Jon Scheyer turned down the position, according to a report by Jeff Goodman.
Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri officially announced May's hiring to replace Jason Kidd ahead of the draft proceedings in New York.
The management transition coincides with a major roster restructuring around 2025 top draft choice Cooper Flagg, following the previous departure of Luka Doncic.
May joins the franchise less than three months after steering Michigan to its first NCAA championship since 1989 with a 69-63 victory over UConn.
Factors Behind the Move
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the opportunity to develop Flagg, the city of Dallas, and the leadership of Ujiri were the primary factors influencing May to jump to the NBA.
The move makes May only the second coach in basketball history to transition directly to an NBA head coaching job immediately after winning an NCAA national title in the prior season.
Mavericks officials expressed complete confidence in the timing of the hiring, noting that the new head coach would immediately offer valuable insights regarding collegiate players during the draft selection process.
"He'll be involved because he's a college coach," Ujiri said. "He has interaction with his players.
We want to know as much information as we can on these players."
Ujiri, who dismissed Kidd roughly two weeks after taking over the Mavericks front office in May, noted that many elements of the collegiate system now mirror the pros due to Name, Image, and Likeness regulations.
"It's a different ballgame with NIL in college. It's like a professional league," Ujiri said.
"Many things I think translate in some kind of way. I look at the style of play, big players, how he sees the game.
And then I look at the person. Incredible person."
The front office pointed out that the 49-year-old coach spent 21 years in the college ranks, working his way up through various assistant and video coordination positions before finding elite success.
"He's somebody who came up in a really tough way, video coordinator, assistant coach, and how he's developed himself," Ujiri said.
"He's worked everywhere. He's coached small teams, big teams."
Johnson Excited to Reunite
Following his selection as the ninth overall pick, Johnson expressed immediate excitement about reuniting with his college coach in Texas.
"The Michigan Mavs," Johnson said.
The newly drafted rookie averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds as a sophomore with Michigan, following a freshman season spent at Illinois.
May released a statement expressing his enthusiasm for joining a franchise with a clear championship trajectory.
"This is one of the most respected franchises in professional sports, with passionate fans, a talented roster, and a clear commitment to building a championship organization," May said.
Back in Ann Arbor, the university administration named top assistant Mike Boynton Jr. as the interim head coach to stabilize a highly rated roster that features several top-50 prospects.
"While we are disappointed to see Dusty leave Michigan, we are deeply grateful to the May family for the lasting impact they have made on our program and our university," athletic director Warde Manuel said.
Prior to his departure, May and Manuel had reached a verbal agreement on a contract extension following the national championship victory over UConn.
"We reached an agreement on the terms, and we're putting it on paper," Manuel said. "He's going to be our coach."
May had publicly confirmed the handshake agreement a few weeks later, stating that there was no hesitation regarding his commitment to the university program.
"We've agreed to the terms," May said. "There's no second-guessing or second thoughts.
In my mind, it was done on the handshake."
The coach had also maintained a philosophy of supporting individual career advancement, which he frequently communicated to his players regarding their own professional ambitions.
