Texas A&M is set to hire Samford‘s Bucky McMillan as its next head coach, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Former Aggies head coach Buzz Williams left the program to take over at Maryland on April 1.
McMillan and Texas A&M are reportedly finalizing a five-year deal. McMillan has been Samford’s head coach for the past five seasons, amassing a 99-52 overall record during his tenure.
He had his best season at Samford in the 2023-24 campaign when he led the Bulldogs to a 29-6 record, a 15-3 mark in conference play, a Southern Conference regular-season title, a conference tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
McMillan also guided Samford to a SoCon regular-season championship in the previous season. For his efforts, McMillan won the Southern Conference Coach of the Year Award three consecutive seasons (2022-24).
Samford posted a 22-11 overall record and a 12-6 mark in conference play this season. They didn’t make the NCAA Tournament but were invited to the NIT, where they ultimately fell in the first round to George Mason.
McMillan’s teams are known for their fast-pace. McMillan’s entertaining style of play has affectionately come to be known as “Bucky Ball.” Samford averaged 82.9 points per game this season, the 14th-most in the country.
McMillan coaches an equally rapid pace on defense, constantly pressing his opponents for 94 feet. In turn, the Bulldogs ranked in the Top 20 in the country for opponent turnover percentage the past two seasons.
Samford is the only head coaching job McMillan has held at the collegiate level. Before leading the Bulldogs, McMillan was the head coach at Mountain Brook High School in Alabama from 2008-20.
McMillan won three 7A state basketball championships and two 6A state basketball championships at Mountain Brook. In total, he led the program to seven appearances in the state tournament semifinals, 10 regional tournament appearances and nine area titles.
In 2018, the National High School Coaches Association named McMillan the National Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. He was also named USA Today’s Alabama Coach of the Year in 2019.
Consequently, McMillan joined the small group of college basketball head coaches who were hired directly from the high school ranks. Now, McMillan will have a chance to find success at his first Power Four program.
McMillan will have his work cut out for him. Texas are set to lose eight seniors to graduation this offseason, including all-time leading scorer Wade Taylor IV. Additionally, seven Aggies have entered the transfer portal since the team’s season-ending loss in the NCAA Tournament.
