The “unstable environment” of college athletics likely wasn’t the only reason Michigan head men’s basketball coach Dusty May decided to leave for the NBA, but it certainly didn’t hurt, experts told The Detroit News on Monday.
After two seasons at Michigan and leading the Wolverines to their second national championship in program history this spring, May is finalizing a deal to become the new head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, ESPN first reported and The News confirmed Monday.
In his two years at Michigan, May took a last-place Big Ten team and turned it into the best team in the country. He led the Wolverines to a 64-13 record over two seasons, with two Big Ten championships after taking over a team that lost a program-record 24 games before he was hired.
But success can be fleeting in college basketball. John Calipari was renowned at Kentucky for developing players for the NBA Draft and competing for national championships before he left for Arkansas in 2024 after a couple of subpar years and losing to No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The NBA has raided the college coaching ranks for talent before, getting Billy Donovan from Florida, P.J. Carlesimo from Seton Hall, Rick Pitino from a couple of different universities and Larry Brown from Kansas. Tom Izzo has resisted the temptation despite being courted at least twice, while John Beilein made the jump from Michigan to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019. After winning a national championship, Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh departed for the NFL’s San Diego Chargers in 2024.
However, the prevalence of coaches leaving might increase due to frustrations with the shaky world of college athletics, said UM professor of sport management Mark Rosentraub. This instability is largely because of the transfer portal, where athletes can attempt to find a different team if they get dissatisfied.
“Players are essentially on a one-year contract,” Rosentraub said. “The NBA is more stable, and coaches are attracted to that. There is no such thing as a multi-year contract in college sports, and the portal breeds a lot of insecurity in how you attract and retain players. … If a coach is successful, is attractive to the NBA, it’s hard to not accept the position.”
May’s departure puts existing roster at risk of entering transfer portal
May used the transfer portal to his benefit and essentially built a team full of players who only intended to stay for one or two years, Rosentraub said. Those who intended to stay might rethink their commitment when the transfer portal opens for 15 days for Michigan players. That portal window will open five days after May officially leaves, according to NCAA rules.
“Clearly, Coach May is an exceptional talent. He built a great team in the short time he was here,” Rosentraub said. “Some players might feel that way and stay, but there is a risk that they will leave.”
Whatever happens, UM clinical assistant professor of sport management Nikolas Webster said the university’s brand is larger than May, who led the program for a short — albeit important — time. The momentum the team has coming off a national title could convince players to stay and see how far the team can go next season, he said.
“The university just won a title, and it’s well funded NIL-wise,” Webster said. “The ‘Michigan brand’ is strong and could make players interested in staying.”
May’s departure worries Michigan officials
The timing of May’s departure puts the university in a better place than it would be otherwise, Webster added. Even if players do take their chances in the transfer portal, most teams’ rosters already are full, and contracts have been worked out.
“This would be more devastating if it happened during the (original) transfer-portal (window),” Webster said. “You’d see more of an exodus then.”
However, the turnover in UM’s college athletics worries students and fans. President of Central Student Government Summit Louth said in a text that most students were frustrated that multiple coaches have now left after successful seasons.
“I mean right after our football team won a natty Harbaugh ran off to the Chargers,” Louth said. “Dusty’s leaving for the Mavs is giving a lot of students deja vu. I mean we’re extremely happy for him, but it’s sort of bittersweet seeing him leave barely 2 years after coming here.”
Louth added he believed the university’s ability to use NIL would convince some players to stay, but he believed a few would leave.
Outgoing Faculty Senate Chair Derek Peterson said May was a “breath of fresh air” and what he gave to the university was needed.
“It is a major loss for us,” Peterson said. “Dusty May has been an excellent coach who has managed to figure out how to use the transfer portal to build a championship team. … So if he is going to the Mavericks, he will certainly be missed in Ann Arbor.”
Webster said he doesn’t think fans should completely give up on next season. Although Michigan likely wouldn’t be the national champs again in 2027, Webster said May’s building of the program puts the Wolverines in a much better place than they were before he arrived.
“It’s hard to win back-to-back titles or Big Ten championships, even if your coach didn’t leave,” he said. “But Michigan’s not going back to the bottom of the Big Ten.”
satwood@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: May’s exit may reflect shaky world of college athletics, experts say
Reporting by Sarah Atwood, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sarah Atwood, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
