The Dallas Mavericks have concluded their coaching search. According to consistent media reports, Dusty May will succeed Jason Kidd, who was dismissed following a disappointing season.
The 49-year-old May led the University of Michigan to a national championship this spring and is considered one of the most sought-after college coaches in the USA.
May’s first major task is likely the upcoming NBA Draft, scheduled for Wednesday night. Dallas holds the ninth, 30th, and 48th picks. Three of his championship-winning players from Michigan – Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara, and Yaxel Lendeborg – are eligible for selection.
The Mavs parted ways with Kidd shortly after hiring new head of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, despite Kidd being owed $40 million over the next four years of his contract.
Under Kidd, who won an NBA championship with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas in 2011 as a player, the Mavs compiled a record of 205 wins and 205 losses over five seasons. In 2022, Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals under Kidd’s guidance, and in 2024, they made it to the NBA Finals.
The team’s decline was evident by February 2025, particularly after the surprising, controversial, and ultimately baffling trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers. General Manager Nico Harrison, who was responsible for that move, was let go last November. Without Doncic, the Mavs missed the playoffs in the past two seasons.
According to ESPN, Jon Scheyer, who coached Dallas’s young star Cooper Flagg during his sole college season, was also a finalist for the head coaching position to replace Kidd.
May is the first coach since 2019 to transition directly from a college head coaching role to an NBA head coaching position. At that time, John Beilein was hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In his two seasons at Michigan, May achieved an outstanding record of 64-13. In his previous role, he led Florida Atlantic to the NCAA Tournament twice consecutively, reaching the Final Four in 2023.