Bucky McMillan leaving Samford for Texas A&M job

After a little more than a year of being one of the most rumored and wanted coaches in college basketball, Bucky McMillan is getting his chance at the big stage.

After spending five years at Samford, McMillan is headed to Texas A&M, according to a report from ESPN. Samford confirmed his departure Saturday afternoon with a statement on social media.

“I want to thank Bucky for all he has given to Samford University and the men’s basketball program. The past five years have been a special period in our program’s history. We wish Bucky the best in his new endeavor and look forward to conducting a national search with the goal of keeping Samford among the premier Division I programs in the nation.”

Martin Newton, Samford Director of Athletics

The term Bucky Ball will have a lasting impact in Birmingham and now only time will tell just how big the term will become at the national level.

Bucky McMillan

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McMillan had a disappointing final season with the Bulldogs but that disappointment only comes from the standard he has helped set during his short tenure,

In five seasons at Samford, McMillan had:

• 99-52 overall record
• 54-29 SoCon record
• 1 NCAA Tournament appearance
• 1 NIT appearance
• 3 SoCon Coach of the Year awards
• 2 SoCon regular season championships
• 1 SoCon tournament championships

The Bulldogs won at least 20 games in each of the last four seasons, setting a program record for most consecutive 20-win seasons.

“Samford will forever be indebted to Bucky McMillan for reestablishing the Samford men’s basketball program’s tradition of excellence. Even more than the exciting brand of basketball he brought to Homewood, or the championships won, I will personally be most grateful for the way Bucky represented Samford’s values and Christian mission. Our disappointment in losing our head coach is matched only by our desire to see Bucky succeed at the highest levels.”

Beck Taylor, Samford President

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Prior to his coaching days McMillan played basketball at Mountain Brook and at Birmingham-Southern College.

Before arriving at Samford, McMillan led Mountain Brook High School boys basketball to five state championships. In 2020, the Mountain Brook program was ranked 13^th in the list of top 25 public high school basketball programs in the United States over the last decade.

In 2018, the National High School Coaches Association named McMillan its National Coach of the Year after his team finished the season with a 34-3 record and ranked No. 17 in the USA Today national rankings. His 2019 team finished the year ranked No. 5 nationally by USA Today.

During his 12-year run in charge of the Spartans, McMillan won 333 games.

What was your favorite memory from the Bucky McMillan era at Samford? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!