Former Michigan and HBCU basketball assistant Drew Williamson is now with the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA.
Williamson is leaving Michigan for an NBA opportunity with the Dallas Mavericks. The move comes after he helped Michigan win the 2026 national championship under Dusty May. The Mavericks hired May as their head coach following the national title. Now Williamson will be accompanying him.
For HBCU basketball, it is another reminder that its coaching pipeline is real.
Before Michigan, Williamson worked his way up through the college game. One of his most important stops came at Virginia State. That is where he spent seven seasons helping build a CIAA winner.
Drew Williamson heads to Dallas Mavericks
Drew Williamson had become a key part of Michigan’s staff.
He served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Wolverines. He also helped May guide Michigan to the top of college basketball.
Now Williamson is moving to the Dallas Mavericks along May.
The NBA jump adds another line to a fast-rising résumé. Williamson has gone from Division II HBCU basketball to a national title staff. Now he is getting a chance at the highest level of the sport.
That is not a small move and it isn’t a random one.
Williamson has built a reputation through recruiting, player development and steady work. Those traits matter in college basketball. They matter in the NBA, too.
HBCU roots shaped Williamson’s path
The HBCU part of Drew Williamson’s story should not be skipped.
At Virginia State, he helped the Trojans become one of the CIAA’s top programs. During his time there, VSU went 87-26 in CIAA play. The Trojans also won six straight CIAA Northern Division titles.
Virginia State also captured CIAA Tournament titles in 2016 and 2019. The program made four NCAA Division II Tournament appearances during that stretch.
That is where Williamson sharpened his coaching voice.
HBCU basketball can test a coach quickly. Resources are not always the same. Exposure is not always easy. Recruiting takes creativity. Player development has to be real.
Williamson came through that environment and kept climbing.
HBCU coaching pipeline keeps moving
The Dallas Mavericks are adding a coach with championship experience.
But this move says more than that.
It shows that HBCU coaching experience can travel. Williamson went from Virginia State to Florida Atlantic. He then followed Dusty May to Michigan. Now he is following him to the Dallas Mavericks.
HBCUs are often called launching pads for players. Stories like this show they can also launch coaches.
Drew Williamson is not just a former HBCU assistant with a new job. He is proof that work done on HBCU sidelines can lead to the NBA.