Bucky McMillan hired as Samford head coach

April 6, 2020

4:12 PM

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

AHSAA State Semifinal boys 7A

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan calls a play during the first half of an AHSAA Class 7A state semifinal game between Mountain Brook and Fairhope on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The Spartans defeated the Pirates 60-50 to advance to the Class 7A state championship game Sat. Feb. 29, against Lee-Montgomery. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Kamp Fender

Head Coach Bucky McMillan provides instruction in a timeout during a Class 7A Northwest Regional semifinal game between Mountain Brook and James Clemens on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville. (Kamp Fender)

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Kamp Fender

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Kamp Fender

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan gives instruction to his second strong during a Class 7A Northwest Regional final game between Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville. (Kamp Fender)

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Kamp Fender

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan provides direction during a timeout of an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Mountain Brook and Lee-Montgomery on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)

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Kamp Fender

Bucky McMillan receives a game ball during an AHSAA class 7A championship basketball game between Baker and Mountain Brook on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)

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Kamp Fender

Head coach Bucky Mcmillan speaks to his team during an AHSAA class 7A championship basketball game between Baker and Mountain Brook on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)

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Sarah Finnegan

MBHS boys basketball VS Central-Phenix City State Semifinals

Head coach Bucky McMillan calls out a play during a Class 7A State Semifinal game agianst Central-Phenix City on March 1, 2018 at the Legacy Arena. The Spartans won to advance to the state championship.

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

AHSAA State Semifinal boys 7A

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan meets with the Spartans during a timeout in the second half of an AHSAA Class 7A state semifinal game between Mountain Brook and Fairhope on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The Spartans defeated the Pirates 60-50 to advance to the Class 7A state championship game Sat. Feb. 29, against Lee-Montgomery. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

AHSAA State Semifinal boys 7A

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan high-fives players and coaching staff following the Spartans win over Fairhope in the AHSAA Class 7A state semifinal game between Mountain Brook and Fairhope on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The Spartans defeated the Pirates 60-50 to advance to the Class 7A state championship game Sat. Feb. 29, against Lee-Montgomery. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

AHSAA State Semifinal boys 7A

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan reacts on the sideline in the second half of an AHSAA Class 7A state semifinal game between Mountain Brook and Fairhope on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The Spartans defeated the Pirates 60-50 to advance to the Class 7A state championship game Sat. Feb. 29, against Lee-Montgomery. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

AHSAA State Semifinal boys 7A

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan calls a play as he walks the sideline in the second half of an AHSAA Class 7A state semifinal game between Mountain Brook and Fairhope on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The Spartans defeated the Pirates 60-50 to advance to the Class 7A state championship game Sat. Feb. 29, against Lee-Montgomery. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

AHSAA State Semifinal boys 7A

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Ted Melton

Mountain Brook Basketball

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan in a game against Vestavia Hills on February 12, 2016.

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Kyle Parmley

Mountain Brook Basketball

Mountain Brook's Bucky McMillan in a game between Mountain Brook and Hoover on Thursday, January 5, 2017, at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama.

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

Lee-Montgomery vs Mtn Brk boys Class 7A Championship

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan hugs Holt Bashinsky (1) following the Spartans loss to Lee-Montgomery in the AHSAA Class 7A boys championship game on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The Spartans fell to Lee-Montgomery 40-38. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

Lee-Montgomery vs Mtn Brk boys Class 7A Championship

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan walks to the sideline after a timeout was called in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A boys championship game between the Spartans and Lee-Montgomery on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The Spartans fell to Lee-Montgomery 40-38. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

Lee-Montgomery vs Mtn Brk boys Class 7A Championship

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan calls a play in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A boys championship game between the Spartans and Lee-Montgomery on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center. The Spartans fell to Lee-Montgomery 40-38. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media

Mountain Brook boys vs. Florence

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan meets with the Spartans during a timeout in a Class 7A Northwest Regional semifinal game between Mountain Brook and Florence on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville. The Spartans sealed a spot in the Elite 8 after defeating the Falcons 67-48. Photo by Erin Nelson

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Ted Melton

Mountain Brook Basketball

Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan in a game against Spain Park on January 8, 2016.

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MBHS Basketball Bucky McMillan

Mountain Brook boys coach Bucky McMillan has led the Spartans to back-to-back state championships.

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Photo courtesy of Harry Long.

Bucky McMillan Day Proclamation

Mayor Terry Oden reads a proclamation for Bucky McMillan Day to McMillan at an event on April 10.

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Photo by Keith McCoy.

Bucky McMillan

Mountain Brook High basketball coach Bucky McMillan is beginning an academy to teach skills to Mountain Brook children from second grade up through high school.

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Sarah Finnegan

MBHS boys basketball VS McGill Toolen state championship

Mountain Brook poses after the AHSAA Class 7A State Championship game against McGill-Toolen on March 3, 2018 at the Legacy Arena. The Spartans won 73-49 to take home the state title.

One of the most successful high school basketball coaches in the state has earned his opportunity to lead a college program.

Longtime Mountain Brook High School boys basketball coach Bucky McMillan was officially introduced as the head men’s basketball coach at Samford University on Monday.

“I am thankful and grateful for this opportunity,” McMillan said in a statement. “I want to especially give thanks to the leadership at Samford for their confidence in me to lead this program. When I came to Mountain Brook, I had never been a high school head coach and the administration there took a chance on me, and this is a similar situation.”

McMillan led the Mountain Brook varsity program for 12 years, leading the Spartans to an unprecedented run of five state championships and seven appearances in the state finals. Notably, the program won three straight titles from 2017-2019.

He takes over for Scott Padgett, who was the coach for six years. McMillan was officially introduced as Samford’s coach via conference call on Monday afternoon.

“I’m elated obviously, I’m humbled, I’m honored for the opportunity to be a college basketball coach,” McMillan told a handful of reporters.

McMillan thanked several people who have aided his life and career to this point, including the administrations at Samford and Mountain Brook, his family, and several coaches that have mentored him along the way.

“When we set out to hire a new coach for our men’s basketball program, we had three main criteria,” Samford Director of Athletics Martin Newton said. “We wanted someone with head coaching experience and a proven track record of winning championships, someone who could excite and engage the Birmingham and Samford communities and someone who understands and embraces the mission of our great university.

“Bucky McMillan quickly became the obvious choice. Bucky has a proven track record of winning championships, a tireless work ethic, a unique basketball mind and the energy and enthusiasm to bring championship basketball to Lakeshore Drive.”

Mountain Brook reached the state semifinals seven times in McMillan’s tenure, making it to the championship game in each of those runs. The Spartans won five titles in the state’s highest classification and finished as the runner-up twice, including in 2020. This past season, the Spartans finished with a 32-3 record, their 40-38 loss to Lee-Montgomery in the state final their only loss to an in-state foe all season.

McMillan said he will model his program at Samford similarly to how he did things at Mountain Brook. His Mountain Brook teams became known for their attacking style of basketball offensively and defensively.

“I’m going to coach the way I’ve always coached,” he said.

McMillan anticipates basketball games at the Pete Hanna Center becoming marquee events in the future, much like the atmosphere cultivated at Spartan Arena over the years.

“Once we get this thing rolling, we’re never going to look back,” he said. “That’s how a culture is built. We’re going to build a culture. Respect is earned, not given.”

During his 12-year run in charge of the Spartans’ program, McMillan won 333 games, averaging nearly 28 wins per season. After posting an 18-12 record in his first season as head coach, McMillan’s teams won at least 23 games in each of the next 11 seasons.

McMillan played his college basketball at Birmingham-Southern College from 2002 to 2006, where he was named to the Big South Conference Academic Honor Roll all four seasons, and to the league’s All-Academic team as a senior. He played at Mountain Brook, graduating in 2002.

Duane Reboul, who coached McMillan at Birmingham-Southern, will join McMillan’s new staff at Samford. Mountain Brook assistant Dave Good will move to Samford with McMillan, sources said.