Dusty May surprised many by leaving the Michigan Wolverines on the heels of a national championship to coach in the NBA. A new report revealed two big reasons why he made that decision.
May accepted the Dallas Mavericks head coaching job on Monday, bolting for the NBA less than three months after guiding the Wolverines to a title. His decision was largely driven by two factors, according to Jeff Goodman of Field of 68: uncertainty about the future of college athletics and the chance to coach Cooper Flagg.
One source very close to Dusty May on the main reason(s) he left Michigan for the NBA:
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 22, 2026
1) "The state of college basketball and not knowing what it's going to look like tomorrow, in a month or in 5 years."
2) "The organization and the chance to coach Cooper Flagg."
May is far from the first coach to walk away from the college game because of the overwhelming changes to it, and he probably will not be the last. Even though he undoubtedly had the resources at Michigan to be successful, the constant challenges of building and roster and keeping it together are stressful, and long-term planning and development are next to impossible. The pro game might, ironically enough, be a better place to do that right now.
Flagg is an obvious draw, as he remains one of the best prospects to enter the NBA in years. If someone can harness him and build around him, they could be a hugely successful NBA coach. May clearly thinks that could be him.
Michigan subsequently finds itself in a tough spot, but they acted quite quickly to fill May’s position, at least on an interim basis.
