Dusty May delivered a national championship to Michigan. Now, he’s about to cut the school a check, too.
May is leaving Michigan men’s basketball after two seasons as head coach to become head coach of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, ESPN reported and The News confirmed Monday.
May was finalizing a contract extension during Michigan’s run this spring, but that contract apparently was never signed, as no document has been provided to The News despite repeated Freedom of Information Act requests. That leaves his extension signed in July 25, 2025, as the most current one publicly available.
Under that contract, May owes Michigan a $5-million buyout for leaving between May 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027. That buyout almost certainly will be paid by the Mavericks. Under the terms of his contract, half of that would be due within 30 days of his hiring by the Mavericks and the other half within 120 days.
May, 49, earned $4.6 million in base salary last season, and he also earned hundreds of thousands in bonuses, including a $150,000 retention bonus for still being employed April 30. He also earned a $400,000 bonus for winning the national championship, the first for Michigan men’s basketball since 1989.
May’s contract signed in July 2025 was a five-year deal worth more than $25 million.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Here’s how much Dusty May owes Michigan for leaving for the NBA
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tony Paul, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
