Texas A&M names Samford's Bucky McMillan as head coach

Texas A&M tabbed Samford head coach Bucky McMillan to the same post with the Aggies on Saturday.

A three-time Southern Conference coach of the year (2022-24), McMillan replaces Buzz Williams at College Station. Williams accepted the head coaching job with Maryland on Tuesday, two days after former Terrapins head coach Kevin Willard was named to the same position at Villanova.

"I couldn't be more excited to wake up to the reality of being the head basketball coach at Texas A&M," McMillan said. "As a guy that grew up around the SEC, I am motivated by the vision of Texas A&M's leadership to compete at the highest levels of college basketball. As I've done my entire career, I won't rest until we get the Aggies playing at a championship level year-in and year-out."

McMillan, 41, posted a 99-52 record during his five seasons with the Bulldogs, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024 when Samford won a school-record 29 games. He also won two regular season championships and a tournament title with Samford.

This season, the Bulldogs went 22-11 and played in the NIT before being eliminated in the first round by George Mason.

McMillan earned raved as Samford for his fast-paced offensive system and pressure-paced defensive schemes that were dubbed "Bucky Ball."

"We're incredibly excited about Bucky coming to Aggieland to lead our men's basketball program," Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts said. "He's an innovator as a coach, and he has a smart and analytics-driven approach to the game. Bucky brings a unique combination of qualities to our program and we're thrilled to begin the next chapter of our basketball history under his leadership."

Williams, 52, guided Texas A&M to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances during his six seasons at the helm. The Aggies finished with a 23-11 record this season after dropping a 91-79 decision to Michigan in the second round on March 22.

--Field Level Media