Texas A&M has found its new basketball coach after Buzz Williams accepted the Maryland job earlier this week. Samford head coach Bucky McMillan is finalizing a deal to become the next coach in College Station.
The news of McMillan accepting the job in College Station comes just a few days after Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard decided to stay in Oxford, after being heavily pursued by the Aggies. In return, the Rebels gave Beard a new contract, along with better NIL resources.
The Aggies hiring McMillan was first reported by Pete Thamel. It’s expected that McMillan will sign a five-year deal.
For Texas A&M, they decided to go with ‘Bucky Ball’ after having to move on from Chris Beard. The Samford coach spent twelve years coaching high school basketball in Alabama at Mountain Brook, finishing with a record of 333-74, before jumping into the college ranks.
McMillan had just finished his fifth season at Samford. During the 2023-2024 season, McMillan led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament and finished the year with a 29-6 record before being bounced by Kansas in the first round.
Known for his team’s offensive output, McMillan has turned heads in the college ranks with his explosive offense. Even though he’s only been a college basketball head coach for five years, he has made a name for himself in the Southern Conference.
Now, he will be tasked with keeping the Aggies in the SEC conversation, especially with some of the resources he will have in College Station. Obviously, Texas A&M fans might feel underwhelmed by this hire, but there is a good chance that Bucky McMillan can turn some heads within the conference if he can get the right players into his system.
SALT LAKE CITY – Head coach Bucky McMillan of the Samford Bulldogs shouts to his team against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first round of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Delta Center on March 21, 2024. (Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
The biggest question will be how much the Aggies are willing to spend when it comes to NIL, as the transfer portal is still open, and teams are scrambling to get deals done before the House settlement is completed sometime in the next few weeks.
We will see how McMillan does in his sixth season as a college basketball coach, but the Aggies went through a number of candidates and thought ‘Bucky Ball’ would be best for Texas A&M.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
