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Texas A&M hiring former Samford head coach Bucky McMillan has excited most of the fanbase. While the mid-major transition to the SEC has been well documented, it's always been a risk, especially since McMillan entered the college ranks after building Mountain Brook High School into one of the top programs nationally.
Since then, his 99-52 record at Samford includes three SoCon Coach of the Year awards, while the Bulldogs near upset of Kansas in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament earned immense respect from future HOF head coach Bill Self, who saw McMillan as a star on the rise from that moment on.
For Texas A&M Athletic Director Trev Alberts, This was the right approach for a program that, under Buzz Williams, experienced three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament but could never get past the second round due to inconsistency on offense combined with Williams' questionable coaching tactics in critical situations.
McMillan's fast-paced offense has coined the term "Bucky Ball," built around enhanced 3-point shooting and full-court press on defense. This is the antithesis of Buzz Williams' "defense first" game plan, which the fan base grew tired of after six seasons with a blatant lack of offensive improvement year to year.
While the proof is in the pudding, McMillian will reportedly have $7 million to work with in NIL funds next season to build the roster and, hopefully, compete in the SEC during his first season at the helm. For the other half of the Aggie fan base that is skeptical of this hire, here's a list of the current SEC basketball head coaches who also came from mid-majors:
Outside of Matt McMahon, every coach listed has led their team to the NCAA Tournament at least once since taking over, meaning Bucky McMillan's road ahead could be rocky in Year 1 due to the depleted roster he's inheriting. Still, it's clear that future success is more likely than not.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: New Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan's success at Samford should continue
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Since then, his 99-52 record at Samford includes three SoCon Coach of the Year awards, while the Bulldogs near upset of Kansas in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament earned immense respect from future HOF head coach Bill Self, who saw McMillan as a star on the rise from that moment on.
For Texas A&M Athletic Director Trev Alberts, This was the right approach for a program that, under Buzz Williams, experienced three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament but could never get past the second round due to inconsistency on offense combined with Williams' questionable coaching tactics in critical situations.
McMillan's fast-paced offense has coined the term "Bucky Ball," built around enhanced 3-point shooting and full-court press on defense. This is the antithesis of Buzz Williams' "defense first" game plan, which the fan base grew tired of after six seasons with a blatant lack of offensive improvement year to year.
While the proof is in the pudding, McMillian will reportedly have $7 million to work with in NIL funds next season to build the roster and, hopefully, compete in the SEC during his first season at the helm. For the other half of the Aggie fan base that is skeptical of this hire, here's a list of the current SEC basketball head coaches who also came from mid-majors:
- Nate Oats coached Buffalo (2015-2019) before taking over at Alabama
- Todd Golden coached San Francisco (2019-2022) before taking over at Florida
- Chris Jans coached New Mexico State (2017-2022) before taking over Mississippi State
- Dennis Gates coached Cleveland State (2019-2022) before taking over at Missouri
- Porter Moser coached Loyola Chicago (2011-2021) before taking over at Oklahoma
- Matt McMahon coached Murray State (2015-2022) before taking over at LSU
- Lamont Paris coached Chatanooga (2017-2022) before taking over at South Carolina
- Mark Byington coached James Madison (2020-2024) before taking over at Vanderbilt
Outside of Matt McMahon, every coach listed has led their team to the NCAA Tournament at least once since taking over, meaning Bucky McMillan's road ahead could be rocky in Year 1 due to the depleted roster he's inheriting. Still, it's clear that future success is more likely than not.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: New Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan's success at Samford should continue
Continue reading...
