Andrew Pace
The Samford Bulldogs men's basketball team has been competing in the NCAA Division I since 1972. The team represents Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, and currently plays in the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs have appeared in the NCAA tournament several times, with their most recent appearance being in 2024. Samford's basketball team has a rich history, dating back to 1901, and the university has invested in improving its athletic facilities over the years. The team's performance has been notable, with several wins against SEC powerhouses like Auburn, demonstrating their competitiveness within their division.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Division | 1 |
| Location | Birmingham, Alabama |
| Conference | Southern |
| Nickname | Bulldogs |
| Colors | Red & Blue |
| Basketball Team | Samford Bulldogs |
| Basketball Team Home Ground | Pete Hanna Center |
| Basketball Team Coach | Lennie Acuff |
| Basketball Team Record (2023-24 season) | 29-6 |
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What You'll Learn
Samford Bulldogs men's basketball team history
The Samford Bulldogs men's basketball team has represented Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, since 1901. The team currently competes in the Southern Conference of NCAA Division I and plays its home games at the Pete Hanna Center, which opened in 2007. The basketball team played in Seibert Hall from 1959 until 1961 when they moved to the upper floor of the same hall after the addition of the main gym. They continued to play there until the Corts Arena in the Hanna Center was completed.
The Bulldogs have experienced success in recent years, winning the regular-season championship and the SoCon tournament in the 2023-24 season. As a result, they received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, making their third appearance in school history and first since 2000. They have also defeated rival Auburn three times, most recently in 2010.
The team's head coach as of 2025 is Lennie Acuff, who joined after a successful stint at Lipscomb University, where he made one NCAA tournament appearance. Prior to that, Acuff headed several NAIA and NCAA Division II programs. He replaced Bucky McMillan, who left after five seasons to become the head coach at Texas A&M. McMillan was named the SoCon Coach of the Year for three consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2024 and also received the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Region 21 Coach of the Year award for the 2023-24 season.
The Samford Bulldogs' mascot, a costumed bulldog named "Spike," was retired in 2017 and replaced by an uncollared bulldog named "Sam." The school's colours are red and blue, with red tending to be bright and blue tending to be a darker navy shade.
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$10
The team's home arena
The Samford Bulldogs are the 17 varsity teams (8 men's and 9 women's) that represent Samford University in NCAA Division I athletics. The men's basketball team plays in the Thomas E. and Marla H. Corts Arena, located in the Pete Hanna Center. The arena, which opened in 2007, is one of the largest buildings ever built in the Georgian style of architecture and can hold 5,000 spectators for basketball games. The facility cost $32 million to construct and is located next to Seibert Hall and its Bashinsky Fieldhouse.
The Corts Arena replaced Seibert Hall as the home of the Samford basketball team. Seibert Hall originally opened in 1959 and hosted the basketball team until 1961 when the main gym was added. At that time, the basketball teams moved upstairs and used the facility until the new arena was completed in 2007.
In addition to serving as the home of the Samford basketball team, the Pete Hanna Center is also a multi-purpose facility that hosts a variety of events. For example, on its opening weekend in 2007, the center hosted three back-to-back major events, including the annual J. Roderick Davis Lecture, featuring author Walter Isaacson, and the 141st Annual Homecoming Alumni Gala Dinner. The center can accommodate up to 6,000 people for concerts and commencements.
The Samford Bulldogs men's basketball team has had some notable successes over the years. The team made its first NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2000, and in 2010, they defeated Auburn for the third time. The women's basketball team has also made strides, making its initial NCAA tournament appearance in the 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament and returning for a second consecutive appearance in 2012.
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Previous coaches
Samford University's basketball team, the Samford Bulldogs, competes in Division I in Birmingham, Alabama, and is part of the Southern Conference. The team's colours are red and blue.
Bucky McMillan was the previous head coach of the Samford Bulldogs. He was hired in April 2020, replacing Scott Padgett. McMillan is known for his up-tempo and aggressive style of play, nicknamed the "Bucky Ball". During his time at Samford, he led the team to a 96-83 upset victory over Belmont in December 2020.
Prior to his role at Samford, McMillan had a successful career as a high school and college basketball coach. He was named the national Boys Basketball Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association in 2018 and was the USA Today Alabama Coach of the Year in 2019. At Mountain Brook High School, he won three 7A and two 6A basketball championships, leading the Spartans to seven final four appearances and ten regional appearances.
McMillan played basketball at Mountain Brook himself, leading the team to a state final four in 2001. He then played college basketball for Birmingham-Southern from 2002 to 2006, graduating with a degree in education services. While in college, he began coaching youth teams and became the junior varsity head coach in 2006.
In 2008, McMillan was hired as the head coach at Mountain Brook, beginning a highly successful tenure. He finished with a record of 333-74 across twelve seasons, averaging nearly 28 wins per season.
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Rivalries and notable wins
The Samford Bulldogs men's basketball team has been competing in NCAA Division I since 1972. The team has appeared in the NCAA tournament three times, most recently in 2024, when they won their first Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament title.
The Bulldogs have had notable wins against SEC powerhouses and fellow Alabama institutions Alabama and Auburn. In 2010, the Samford basketball team defeated Auburn for the third time. The team has also claimed impressive wins over Alabama and St. John's.
In the 2023-24 season, the Bulldogs had the best season in program history, setting a school record with 29 wins and a final record of 29-6. This marked the third consecutive season of winning at least 20 games. The team won the Southern Conference regular-season title for the second year in a row and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.
The Bulldogs' head coach, Bucky McMillan, has been instrumental in the team's recent success. In the SoCon Tournament, Achor Achor was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, with 25 points and nine rebounds. Jermaine Marshall, a first-team All-Tournament honoree, added 23 points and eight rebounds.
As for rivalries, when Samford joined the Southern Conference, it created new rivalries with its conference foes. The team's primary rivals are likely those within their current conference, although specific rival teams were not explicitly mentioned in my search results.
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Current performance
Samford University's men's basketball team, the Samford Bulldogs, has been competing in the NCAA Division I since 1972. The team is currently led by head coach Lennie Acuff and plays its home games at the Pete Hanna Center, which was completed in 2007.
The Bulldogs have appeared in the NCAA tournament three times, most recently in 2024. The 2023-24 season was the best in the program's history, with the team setting a school record of 29 wins and a final record of 29-6. This marked the third consecutive season of winning at least 20 games. The Bulldogs also won the Southern Conference regular-season title for the second straight year and the SoCon Tournament, earning them a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.
The Samford Bulldogs have a rich history in basketball, with the university sponsoring a men's basketball team since 1901. The team has had several notable coaches, including John Brady, who led the program to back-to-back Trans America Athletic Conference West Division titles in 1996 and 1997, and Jimmy Tillette, who guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back TAAC Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament bids in 1999 and 2000.
In recent years, the Bulldogs have continued to perform well and compete against other Alabama institutions such as Alabama and Auburn. The team is known to play its home games at the Pete Hanna Center, which is located next to Seibert Hall and its Bashinsky Fieldhouse. The Pete Hanna Center is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility with a capacity of 5,000 for basketball games.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Samford University has been sponsoring a men's basketball team since 1901 and has been Division 1 since 1972.
The Samford Bulldogs currently compete in the Southern Conference.
The basketball team plays its home games at the Pete Hanna Center.
The team colours are red and blue.
