Dusty May has been the name in college basketball and NBA circles recently — and for good reason. Just before the NBA Draft, May agreed to a lucrative contract to become the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Official figures have not been confirmed, but it is widely assumed he will be among the highest-paid coaches in the league. On top of that, May owed Michigan north of $5 million in buyout money, which Dallas is covering as well. The cherry on top? The Mavericks selected former Michigan Wolverine Morez Johnson Jr. ninth overall, meaning May and one of his star players are making the jump together.
It is surprising to see May leave Michigan after just two seasons, but this is a hard-earned opportunity at the highest level of basketball — and nobody should be shocked that it came calling.
May’s journey to this moment is one of the better stories in basketball. He started as a student manager and administrative assistant under Bobby Knight at Indiana, made multiple stops as an assistant at the mid-major level, and eventually followed head coach Mike White from Louisiana Tech to Florida. That stint gave May the recognition he deserved, which led to the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic University.
At FAU, May compiled a 126-69 record highlighted by the 2022-23 team that went 35-4 and made the Final Four before falling to San Diego State on a buzzer beater in heartbreaking fashion. The following season was a step back, but it ultimately opened the door to Michigan. His time at FAU was the launching pad that made everything else possible.
At Michigan, May wasted no time proving he belonged. He built a strong roster in year one, won the Big Ten Tournament, and led the Wolverines to the Sweet 16 before falling to Auburn — a successful debut by any measure. But year two was something else entirely. Michigan went 37-3, dominated the Big Ten from wire to wire, and then steamrolled through the NCAA Tournament to win the National Championship. The roster featured three NBA lottery picks, and May assembled it almost entirely through the transfer portal. It was a masterclass in modern roster construction.
And then May did something that felt very on brand for the current era of college basketball — he entered the portal himself.
That is what makes this such a significant moment. May was being paid handsomely to coach one of the most prominent programs in the country, and he still left for the NBA. The reason is not hard to understand. The job description of a college head coach has changed dramatically. It is no longer just about coaching basketball. Every offseason is a free agency frenzy, a roster teardown and rebuild, a financial negotiation with players who have just as much leverage as the coach himself. For someone like May — a program builder, a talent evaluator, a developer — the appeal of a stable NBA roster with the same players year after year is easy to see.
So the obvious question becomes: who is next?
Jon Scheyer’s name will always come up in NBA coaching conversations. He checks every box, but luring him away from Duke — one of the most storied programs in college basketball history and his own alma mater — is going to be an extremely difficult sell. Todd Golden is another name worth watching. He is young, sharp, and has the basketball IQ to thrive at the next level, though with most of his Florida roster returning, that conversation is likely still a few years away. Dan Hurley is always a threat to leave UConn, but it is going to take a truly extraordinary offer to pull him away from what he has built in Storrs.
Whoever is next, Dusty May has set the precedent. Whether his NBA tenure becomes a blueprint or a cautionary tale remains to be seen — but either way, expect more college coaches to start weighing their options seriously. The portal goes both ways now.
