Drew Williamson is headed to the NBA. The former Virginia State associate head coach will join Dusty May’s staff with the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant, reuniting with a guy who just keeps winning everywhere he goes.
Williamson and May spent the last five seasons together at Florida Atlantic and Michigan. They turned Florida Atlantic into a Final Four Cinderella in 2023. Then they went to Ann Arbor and flipped an 8-win disaster into a Big Ten Tournament title in year one. Last season? Michigan went 37-3, won the national championship and beat UConn in the title game. That’s not a bad little run.
Virginia State athletic director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes broke the news on X, pointing out that Williamson is the second former Trojans assistant to land with a Dallas pro team this year. Parker went to the Cowboys. Now Williamson is with the Mavs. That’s two HBCU guys getting shots in the NBA and NFL within a few months.
Williamson’s HBCU roots run deep
Before he was helping May win titles at the highest level of college basketball, Williamson spent eight years at Virginia State. He was hired as associate head coach in 2013 and turned the Trojans into one of the CIAA’s toughest programs. Six straight Northern Division titles. Two CIAA tournament championships. Four NCAA Division II tournament appearances. The Trojans averaged 21 wins a season during his tenure.
The 2018-19 season was the peak. Virginia State set a school record with 28 wins, breaking the previous record of 25 that they set the year before. They won the CIAA regular-season and tournament titles. They ripped off winning streaks of 16 and 10 games. That program was a machine.
Then May called. Williamson left after the 2020-21 season to join May at Florida Atlantic. The timing was perfect. That Owls team made that magical run to the Final Four in 2023 and became one of the most beloved Cinderella stories in recent tournament history. Williamson was on the bench for all of it.
When May took the Michigan job in 2024, Williamson followed. The Wolverines went from 8 wins to 27 wins and a Big Ten Tournament title. Then they won it all last season with 37 wins and a national championship. That turnaround was ridiculous.
What this means for Dallas
Now the duo lands in Dallas with the Mavericks. Cooper Flagg just won Rookie of the Year and looks like a franchise cornerstone. May and Williamson have a track record of building winners fast. The Mavs were already a playoff team. With this staff and Flagg developing, they could be dangerous sooner than people expect.
The team has not confirmed the hire officially, but Sykes’ post made it clear Williamson is headed south. Another college coach making the jump to the NBA. Another HBCU product getting his shot.
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