SEC Commissioner Speaks Highly Of New Texas A&M Coach Bucky McMillan

"I think Texas A&M [and] College Station is a great place to be a coach, across the board. You have seen that with the kind of support, leadership, and infrastructure," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said.

As Texas A&M men's basketball enters a new era under Bucky McMillan, Sankey had some praise to give McMillan as he heads into his first season as head coach at Texas A&M. McMillan, the former Samford men's basketball coach, has a specific style of play he calls "Bucky Ball" as he brings it to Aggieland for the 2025-26 season.

After the conclusion of the 2024-25 basketball season, six-year head coach Buzz Williams made his departure to the University of Maryland after eight seniors graduated. To say the Aggies are starting fresh could be an understatement, as Texas A&M lost all but one player from its roster, Chris McDermott.

Williams took most of his staff with him, as A&M's athletic director, Trev Alberts, started the search for who could step in and lead the Aggies to another great season. In the 2024-25 season, A&M went 23-11 and had a historic win over No. 1 Auburn in front of a packed Reed Arena.

As the Aggies secured McMillan to come and lead the basketball program at A&M, he has not been shy of a role too big as he started from scratch, recruiting 12 players and a whole new coaching staff to help continue the growth of the Aggies' basketball program.

Sankey Approving Of McMillan

Everyone you hear talking about McMillan has nothing but amazing things to say about him, and it continued to be positive talk when talking to Sankey.

"I watched Bucky McMillan in high school, I didn't know him then," Sankey said. "I had a conversation with Martin Newton, the AD at Samford, and he couldn't say enough good things about working with McMillan."

In the time he has been in College Station, he has truly embodied the Aggie spirit, catching as many softball and baseball games as he could, cheering on all Texas A&M sports, as he knows the other coaches and the 12th Man will do the same come basketball season.

With really no expectations for Texas A&M's basketball team this year, considering McMillan started from scratch, many people are excited about McMillan's craft within the game, including Sankey.

"He's calling people for season tickets," Sankey said. "It'll be a different type of basketball. He's built in his basketball pedigree, and it'll be fun to watch him."