After leading Samford to its first NCAA tournament berth in 24 years this season, head basketball coach Bucky McMillan has received a contract extension.

It’s the second straight year McMillan has had his contract extended, after he agreed last May to a deal that would keep him with the Bulldogs through 2030. Terms of the new contract extension were not disclosed.

“I want to thank (Samford president Beck) Taylor and (athletics director) Martin Newton for their confidence in the direction of the program as I am extremely grateful for the contract extension,” McMillan said. “We are building a special program here at Samford and I look forward to continuing to work, along with my staff and players, to compete for championships and have a basketball program that is relevant on a national level.

“I greatly appreciate the support of our administration and fans that have been essential to our program taking the strides we have in the last couple of years. Together, we will work to take even bigger steps forward in the years to come. Go Bulldogs!”

The 40-year-old McMillan is 77-41 in four years at Samford, including three consecutive 20-win seasons. A Birmingham native and Birmingham-Southern graduate, he came to the Bulldogs after leading Mountain Brook High School to five state championships in Alabama’s largest classification.

Samford has won back-to-back Southern Conference championships, and broke through this season with 17 consecutive wins, a 29-6 record and the SoCon tournament title. The Bulldogs lost to Kansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament, their first appearance in the “Big Dance” since 2000.

“Coach McMillan has delivered on what he said he was going to do to transform the Samford basketball program, and he’s just getting started,” Newton said. “The recognition of Dr. Taylor and our administration to invest in ‘Bucky Ball’ and keep the Birmingham native home is tremendous and one of the most unique stories in college sports.

“I’m excited to see what the future holds under Bucky’s leadership and the continued growth of support from the campus and community. Go Bulldogs!”