Dallas Mavericks Looking at Multiple Former Head Coaches For Dusty May's Staff

The Dallas Mavericks have a new head coach, as they hired the University of Michigan's Dusty May to lead the Cooper Flagg era. He instantly had sway in the roster, as they took one of his players, Morez Johnson Jr., with the 9th overall pick, despite him being a questionable fit offensively with Flagg.

As the calendar turns into free agency and Summer League, there is still one big thing Dusty May needs to do: fill out his staff. Most coaches won't return from last year, as former coach Jason Kidd mostly picked them. It does seem that exemplary player-development coach Phil Handy will stick around, but the rest is up in the air.

NBA insider Marc Stein revealed on Saturday evening that there are a few coaches, including former head coaches, that the Mavericks are considering to join Dusty May's staff: former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green, former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, and Miami Heat consultant Noah LaRoche.

Here is a quick breakdown of each coach.

Willie Green

Willie Green was fired early in the 2025-26 season by the Pelicans, but he wasn't given a fair chance to succeed near the end of his tenure, as their rosters were poorly constructed, and Joe Dumars became the new lead executive last year and immediately went to work in making the roster even worse.

He also wasn't that strong a coach. In just over five seasons, Green went 150-190, making the playoffs twice, but they went 36-46 en route to one of those playoff appearances. He did finish above .500 twice, but never won 50 games.

Before New Orleans, Green was an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns from 2019 to 2021, also acting as an assistant/player development coach for the Golden State Warriors in 2018-19.

Nov 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans Head Coach Willie Green reacts to a play against the Los Angeles Lakers. during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Adrian Griffin

Adrian Griffin spent a few years in Dallas as a player in the early 2000s and used that playing career to get into coaching. It was a slow climb up the coaching ladder and the fastest decline you'll ever see.

He first started as an assistant coach in 2008 with the Milwaukee Bucks, then bounced between the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, OKC Thunder, and Toronto Raptors (while Masai Ujiri was there) before finally getting a head coaching opportunity with the Bucks in the 2023-24 season.

That opportunity lasted just 43 games. Despite the Bucks being 30-13, they decided to let him go, likely because of some friction between him and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks cratered after that, hiring Doc Rivers, and Griffin hasn't been back in the NBA since.

Jan 14, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin calls a play in the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Noah LaRoche

Noah LaRoche was an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2024-25, then joined the Miami Heat as a consultant for last season. He was tabbed as a big reason for the Heat's offensive turnaround this year, despite not having an offensive superstar, as they improved from 21st in offensive rating and 24th in PPG in 2024-25 to 13th in offensive rating and 2nd in PPG last season.

LaRoche was even part of the interview process for the Mavs while they were looking for their head coach. If they were that interested in him as a coach, it would make sense that they would want him on Dusty May's staff.

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