New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May shed light on his shocking decision to depart Michigan in June, only a few weeks after helping the Wolverines capture their first national championship in 37 years.
"I was so excited for Big Ten meetings, like, 'We're going to find some solutions,'" May told CJ Moore of The Athletic.
"I go there and I was just like, 'Oh my God, nothing's getting fixed. Ever.'"
May said he'd always intended to stay in Ann Arbor until Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz contacted him regarding Michigan prospects after the conference meetings and a few weeks before the NBA draft. Schmitz also asked May if he "had any interest" in making the jump to the Mavericks, who were searching for a head coach after new team president Masai Ujiri dismissed Jason Kidd.
May said he was put off by coaches at the Big Ten meetings continuing to complain about the transfer portal and other shifts in the college game that May believes can't be reversed. He admitted that a growing number of off-court responsibilities at the college level also pushed him to take the Mavericks job.
"I just spent so much more of my time doing everything but coaching," the 49-year-old said.
When asked what changes he would make if he was in charge of NCAA basketball, May said he'd institute some type of collective bargaining and "figure out a way to make contracts binding."
During Michigan's championship parade in April, Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel revealed that May, whose contract wasn't set to expire until 2030, had agreed to a multi-year extension. However, a new deal was never formally signed.
The reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year is the first college bench boss to transition to the NBA since John Beilein left the Wolverines for the Cleveland Cavaliers in May 2019. Beilein led Michigan for 12 seasons but resigned partway through his first NBA campaign with a 14-40 record.
