The reigning national champions could soon be in the market for a new head coach. As the NBA coaching carousel starts to spin, Michigan’s Dusty May has emerged as a top candidate for multiple franchises—just months after leading the Wolverines to the national title in April.
On Monday, the Orlando Magic fired head coach Jamahl Mosley, just one day after the team blew a 3–1 series lead against the top-seeded Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs. It marked the Magic’s third straight first-round exit under Mosley, whose job security had been questioned throughout the season as the team underperformed despite a talented young core featuring Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, and the Wagner brothers.
May’s name had already been linked to the Magic job before it officially opened. Front Office Sports previously reported mutual interest between the two sides, and multiple league sources confirmed that interest remains strong. One source even noted that May could also be a candidate for the Golden State Warriors if Steve Kerr decides not to return for a 13th season. Kerr recently held his second meeting in as many weeks with Warriors brass but has yet to commit to continuing his tenure with the franchise he’s led to four championships.
Other candidates reportedly in the mix for the Orlando job include Billy Donovan and former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. Interestingly, Donovan agreed to coach the Magic back in June 2007 but stepped down just days later after a change of heart. According to The Athletic, that past history could either help or hurt his candidacy this time around.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman addressed the media on Monday following Mosley’s dismissal but kept his cards close to the vest regarding what he’s looking for in the team’s next head coach.
“I don’t think we look for a particular trait or a quality,” Weltman told reporters. “Coaches come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. Someone that kind of looks at our team in the way that we feel can help move us forward. Obviously someone who understands where we are on our timeline, that we’ve kind of tried to get past the growth stages of the rebuild… I don’t have a box to say that we want the next coach to come out of this.”