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On Saturday afternoon, Texas A&M’s hiring of new head basketball coach Bucky McMillan became official. The former Samford head coach has made his way to College Station, and for the most part, a large portion of the Aggie fan base is excited that Athletic Director Trev Alberts took a chance on a younger coach with star potential.
However, whenever a new head coach enters the prestigious SEC, especially at the young age of 41, national media members, including ESPN’s Jay Bilas, have plenty of opinions to give after six years under Buzz Williams that became predictable and resulted in three consecutive second-round exits in the NCAA Tournament.
While some may see this coaching change as one extreme game plan to another, Bilas understands why the Aggies went in this direction, comparing the move to when Alabama hired Nate Oats, who has been one the most successful coaches ever since.
“I’m not surprised, because of what Pete Thamel said. You know, sort of the nature of Buzz Williams, every five or six years, there’s been a change in his college coaching career. But when you think about what Nate Oats, where he was 10, 12, years ago. He was a head coach in Detroit at Romulus High School. Then he goes to Buffalo as an assistant to Bobby Hurley, takes over the head coaching job. Now, he’s killing it at Alabama. One of the most respected coaches in the game. When you’re the real deal, it doesn’t take long for people to figure it out,” Bilas stated.
“I think Bucky McMillan is an outstanding basketball coach. It’s going to be a challenge going into that SEC and doing extraordinarily well, but he’s certainly got the resources to Texas A&M to do it.”
Until Aggie fans see results, It’s understandable to be skeptical. Still, McMillan has received praise from the likes of Kansas head coach Bill Self. In…
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Publish date : 2025-04-06 17:52:00
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