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Photo courtesy of Samford University Athletics.
Samford head coach Bucky McMillan with the net after Samford University’s men’s basketball team defeated East Tennessee State University in the Southern Conference Tournament championship game on March 11 in Asheville, North Carolina.
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Photo courtesy of Samford University Athletics.
Samford University head coach Bucky McMillan during the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in game on March 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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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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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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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 Stu Stuedeman.
Bucky McMillan, center, and the 2028-19 Mountain Brook boys basketball coaching staff following the Spartans’ fifth state championship title in March 2019.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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
Bucky McMillan's career ascent is continuing.
McMillan and Texas A&M are finalizing a deal to make McMillan the program's next men's basketball coach, according to CBS Sports, ESPN and others. ESPN reports that the deal is for five years.
McMillan replaces Buzz Williams, who was named the Maryland head coach on Wednesday after six seasons at Texas A&M. McMillan takes over a program that has experienced plenty of recent success, making the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years under Williams.
McMillan made a name for himself as a legendary coach at Mountain Brook High School following his playing days for the Spartans.
In 12 years as the MBHS head coach, his teams had unprecedented success, reaching the state finals seven times and winning five state championships. McMillan won 333 games in his time at Mountain Brook.
He was named the head coach at Samford in April 2020 and has spent the last five years revitalizing the Bulldogs' program. In 2024, McMillan took the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 24 years, and Samford nearly pulled off an opening round upset of Kansas.
Now, McMillan is set to become a head coach in the Southeastern Conference, which boasted one of the deepest conferences in men's basketball history this season.
