When North Carolina was looking for a new men's basketball coach this offseason, Dusty May's name was one that surfaced quite a bit.
May led the Michigan Wolverines to the national championship, as what he's done as the program's head coach is a major reason why so many head coach needy programs at least made a call to gauge his interest.
However, the likely outcome always seemed like the only way out of Ann Arbor for May was if he landed an NBA job.
Well, that happened on Monday, sending social media into an absolute frenzy.
BREAKING: University of Michigan coach Dusty May has agreed to become the new head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, sources tell me, @AdamSchefter, @PeteThamel. Major college-to-pro jump for the 2026 NCAA championship coach and swing for the Mavericks and Masai Ujiri. pic.twitter.com/rwlwhRtNfo
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2026
May has agreed to become the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, officially making the leap from college to the NBA. He will inherit a roster that has former Duke star Cooper Flagg along with some other intriguing pieces that could help the Mavericks be contenders in the very near future.
North Carolina dodges a major bullet by not hiring Dusty May
Just think about this.
Imagine if May had more substantial interest in the UNC job. If the two sides agreed to a deal for him to take over the reins of the program, you'd expect a similar roster overhaul that Michael Malone put together in the weeks following his hire.
All that effort just for the Mavericks to call and him change course?
Now, if he did take the UNC job, he might have been less willing to depart for the NBA right away before even coaching a game for the franchise (a Bill Belichick/Jets type of move). However, whose to say that a year from now, May doesn't reconsider and take his talents to the NBA?
Sure, it could very much happen with Malone as well, a former NBA champion head coach who could increase his stock with a strong first season in Chapel Hill. However, May has been the "hot name" on the coaching trail, following the likes of Billy Donovan and others who have departed the college ranks after winning a national title.
The timing for May to make this leap might not ever get better, but it does leave the defending national champions in a very tough predicament.
Michael Malone and UNC have their eyes on another transfer portal guard
From finding a new head coach on the fly to retaining the players who have pledged to play for the program this season, it's going to be a very busy couple of weeks ahead for the Wolverines. Fortunately, the Tar Heels aren't the program going through this mess, as they truly dodged a bullet with this one.
Now, college programs across the country will be lurking, waiting for decisions from some of Michigan's key players. One of those guys who should draw a ton of attention is former Tar Heel Elliot Cadeau, whose future heading into his senior year is a lot less clear now following the departure of the guy who brought him to Ann Arbor and helped him take his game to the next level.
This was a shocking development in the college basketball world, and all Tar Heel fans can agree that we are all thankful that UNC isn't the one dealing with this mess.
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