Mike Dunlap was named Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) on April 15, 2024. He brings a highly decorated coaching résumé spanning college (Division II & Division I), professional, and international levels.
At the Division II level, Dunlap coached from 1998–2006 at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), where he compiled an outstanding 248-50 record (.832) and a RMAC mark of 142-29 (.830). Under his leadership the Roadrunners made nine consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and captured two national championships (2000 & 2002). After MSU Denver, Dunlap moved into the NBA and Division I levels. He served as assistant coach of the Denver Nuggets under George Karl (2006–08), assistant roles at the University of Arizona, University of Oregon and St. John’s, and later as head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) in 2012–13, where he steered the team from 7 wins to 21 wins, becoming the first coach in NBA history to triple a team’s win total from the previous season. From 2014–2020, Dunlap was head coach at his alma mater, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where the 2018-19 team posted a record 22-12 season and advanced to the semifinals of the CBI (College Basketball Invitational).
Most recently before joining CMU, Dunlap served as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2020-23, where he won an NBA championship in his first season with the team (2020-21) while working alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. At CMU, Dunlap arrives as the program looks to build on recent success — including a 29-win season in 2023-24, a RMAC regular-season title and a No. 6 national ranking in the NABC poll. He will lead the Mavericks, located in Grand Junction, Colorado, into conference play and NCAA Division II competition, bringing experience, leadership, and a tradition of winning to the program. Dunlap earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Loyola Marymount University, where he played basketball after starting at Pierce College. He was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, on May 27, 1957, and is married to Mollie Busterud Dunlap; the couple has three children: Holt, Spencer and Ellie.
