Dusty May could soon become one of the few college basketball coaches to make the jump to the NBA.
Multiple reports surfaced Monday linking the former Florida Atlantic men’s basketball coach with the head coaching vacancy at the Dallas Mavericks.
May, 49, is one of the hottest names in basketball coaching circles after leading the Michigan Wolverines to the 2026 NCAA national championship.
Should he land with the Mavericks, May will join an elite circle of college coaches making the jump to the NBA, including John Beilein (Michigan), Fred Hoiberg (Iowa State), Billy Donovan (Florida), Brad Stevens (Butler), Rick Pitino (Kentucky), John Calipari (UMass) and Larry Brown (Kansas).
His star was born at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. May led the Owls from 2018 to 2024 and built the program into a national contender. FAU was 126-69 under May’s leadership and reached the Final Four in 2023.
May took over a Michigan program which finished 8-24 the previous season and built a national champion by his second season.
The Wolverines finished 37-3 in 2026 and dominated teams in the NCAA Tournament with an oversized lineup comprised of high-profile transfers.
Before his time as a head coach, May was Mike White’s top assistant with the Florida Gators from 2015-18. During May’s three seasons at UF, the Gators reached the NCAA Tournament twice, including a 2016-17 season in which UF made a run to the Elite Eight before falling to South Carolina.
With the Mavericks, May would coach former Duke standout Cooper Flagg, who averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in Dallas.
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@usatodayco.com. Kevin Brockway contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Former FAU coach Dusty May reportedly headed to coach Dallas Mavericks
Reporting by Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
