Dusty May: 'It wasn't an easy decision' to leave Michigan for Mavericks

On the day before the start of the 2026 NBA Draft, Dusty May reopened the college basketball coaching cycle with the Dallas Mavericks hiring the now ex-Michigan basketball coach.

The Mavericks made May's hiring official on Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement posted on social media on Tuesday evening, May wrote that it "wasn’t an easy decision" to leave the Wolverines, a team he had just guided to a national championship with one of the most dominant NCAA Tournament runs in recent memory, averaging a 19‑point margin of victory across six games.

"When my family and I came to Ann Arbor two years ago, we hoped we could help bring Michigan basketball back to where it belongs. I never could have imagined how special these last two seasons would be," May wrote. "... This wasn't an easy decision."

May, who led the Wolverines to a 64-13 record in two seasons, continued by mentioning that he felt the opportunity to coach in the NBA — where he'll coach 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg in Dallas — was something he felt he "needed to pursue."

"But that doesn't change how much these last two years have meant to us. Ann Arbor became home, and we'll always be grateful for the relationships and memories that came from our time here," May said. "Thank you for trusting us, believing in us and making these last two years so much fun. It was an honor to coach at Michigan and wear the block M."

In a statement on Tuesday, where he named Mike Boynton Jr. as the Wolverines' interim coach, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel thanked May for his two seasons in Ann Arbor and for returning the program to the national stage.

"While we are disappointed to see Dusty leave Michigan, we are deeply grateful to the May family for the lasting impact they have made on our program and our university," Manuel said. "In just two seasons, Dusty restored Michigan basketball to national prominence and led our Wolverines through one of the greatest chapters in program history, culminating in our first national championship in 37 years."

May posted a 190-82 overall record in eight seasons as a college basketball coach, with a 126-69 record at FAU, which he also led to the Final Four in 2023 as a 9-seed.

Dusty May statement

Here's May's full statement

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.