Samford's Bucky McMillan Named Conference Coach Of The Year

HOMEWOOD, AL — Former Mountain Brook High School and current Samford University basketball coach Bucky McMillan has been named the 2022 Southern Conference Coach of the Year.

In just his second season in charge of the program, McMillan engineered an impressive turnaround. After winning just six games last season, the Bulldogs posted a record of 20-10 overall and 10-8 in Southern Conference play this year.

The Bulldogs notched impressive out-of-conference wins over Oregon State and Ole Miss this season as well.

The 20 wins mark the first 20-win regular season for Samford since 1998-99, and first 20-win season at all for the Bulldogs since 2016-17. The 10 Southern Conference wins are the most for Samford since joining the SoCon for the 2008-09 season.

Samford earned the No. 3 seed in this week's Southern Conference Tournament, the program's highest seed in the event since joining the SoCon. The Bulldogs will open play in the SoCon Tournament by taking on the No. 6 seed UNC Greensboro Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (CT) in Asheville, N.C.

McMillan coached at Mountain Brook for 12 seasons, winning 333 games and leading the team to five state championships. McMillan was named USA Today's Alabama Coach of the Year in 2019; Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Coach of the Year in 2013, 2014 and 2015; Birmingham Tip-Off Club State Coach of the Year in 2012, 2015 and 2019; and Over The Mountain Coach of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019. He was selected to coach the Alabama All-Stars in the 2019 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.