(KBTX) – Texas A&M is set to hire Samford men’s basketball coach Bucky McMillan as the program’s 22nd head coach, Aggie athletic department Trev Alberts confirmed with KBTX.

Both sides are finalizing a five-year deal, Alberts told KBTX. The Aggies are expected to have $7 million available in both NIL and revenue sharing this season.

McMillan just completed his fifth season with the Bulldogs, where he finished with a 22-11 record. He took Samford to its first NCAA Tournament since 2000 in the year prior with a historic 29-6 record and a pair of conference titles.

McMillan, 41, replaces Buzz Williams, who took the vacant head coaching position at Maryland on Monday. The Aggies are coming off three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and a pair of second-round exits.

The Birmingham native jumped straight into a college head coaching position after serving 12 years as the head coach of Mountain Brook High School in Mountain Brook, Ala. In a dozen seasons, he led the Spartans to five state titles in seven state final appearances while playing in the state’s highest classification.

McMillan’s style of play has been branded “Bucky ball,” featuring up-tempo play. Last season, the Bulldogs ranked 24th in the nation in tempo, averaging 71.1 possessions per game. Offensively, their average possession length was 15.8 seconds, which was 18th-fastest in the nation.

In a departure from the previous regime, McMillan’s last three teams ranked in the top 50 in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage.

In five seasons in Birmingham, McMillan tallied a 99-52 overall record and notched a Southern Conference Coach of the Year honor after the 2023-24 season.

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