Alabama
Alabama Coach Has High Hopes for Texas A&M’s Bucky McMillan
After losing Buzz Williams this offseason, the Texas A&M Aggies decided to go in a different direction for their next head coach.
Rather than hire another power conference retread, the Aggies hired former Samford coach Bucky McMillan to lead the way. McMillan, 41, led the Bulldogs to a 99-52 record (54-29 SoCon) and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024, their first in 24 years, over his five seasons with the team.
Now, he’ll look to lead the Aggies to similar success in probably the best conference in the country.
Already, one of the premier coaches in the SEC is taking notice. When speaking at the Regions Traditions Pro-Am golf tournament, Alabama’s Nate Oats shared that he will be watching McMillan’s career with great interest.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” Oats said, per On3. “I got here, I talked to Bucky, and I talked to him even about an assistant role. Then I told him, like, ‘Look, man, you need to get to wherever you’re going to get as an assistant,’ and fortunate for him, he’s able to jump right from high school head coach. ‘Just do it on your own accord, how good as you are, and that’ll be better.’ And he did.”
Oats has a somewhat similar background to McMillan. The 50-year-old’s first collegiate head coaching role came at Buffalo, where he led the Bulls to the NCAA Tournament three times in four seasons. Now, he’s one of the premier coaches in the country after leading the Crimson Tide to five straight tournament appearances, including a Final Four in 2024 and an Elite Eight in 2025.
“I mean, he got to Samford, hit it out of the park,” Oats said. “You know, me and him have talked a lot. Shoot, I’ve talked to him even a few times since he’s got to A&M. He says that the success I’ve had here, I think, helped him a little bit with just high school coaches can do it,” Oats said. “And I think it’s great for all the really good high school coaches around. I mean, he went right from high school to Samford. He hit it out of the park, and now he’s in our league.”
It will take some time for McMillan to establish himself in the SEC, especially when he’s basically had to build the roster from scratch this offseason. If he’s able to translate his game from a mid-major conference to a power conference, though, he might just have a chance to become a premier coach like Oats is.
DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (WALA) – The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo begins Friday morning on Dauphin Island, following a kickoff party Thursday night that featured the Captain T-Bone’s Liar’s Contest.
Rodeo contestants, their families and others attended the event, where participants competed to tell their best fish tales.
Cody Ward, vice president of publicity for the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, said the stories are always a highlight.
“I don’t like to speculate too much on the lies, there are a lot of them, they come and go, and they are great all the time,” Ward said. “Make sure you’re out here, check them out, support these people, they love to do this and we love to hear their fish tales.”
Mike Eubanks has been fishing in the rodeo since 1982. He’s been to the liars contest many times and says he’s heard some great ones over the years.
“They can come up with some good ones. I don’t know which one was the craziest but the winner every year deserves it I promise you. Those judges have a hard time because they are some good ones,” Eubanks said.
The rodeo gets underway Friday with a cannon blast at 5 a.m. and runs through the weekend.
Copyright 2026 WALA. All rights reserved.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Soccer is rapidly growing in Alabama and there aren’t enough officials to accommodate.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup had an impact on the growth of the sport.
“Instead of the World Cup arriving in America, America has arrived at the World Cup,” AHSAA Soccer Officials Coordinator Cedric Thomas said. “Watch parties across the county has showcased how America has reacted to the beautiful game.”
The 2026 World Cup reminded fans within North Alabama how special the game of soccer is and the game is rapidly growing in the Valley.
“It’s larger than any football program,” Alabama State Youth Referee Administrator Thomas Russell said. “We have more recreational soccer players than all of football combined.”
The rapid growth has created issues across the state. The biggest issue is the lack of soccer officials in Alabama.
There are around 900 certified soccer referees in Alabama, but the state needs about 1,500 for all games at all levels to operate smoothly.
“You cannot have an official game without officials,” Thomas said. “You can see the impact on the kids faces when only one or two referees show up and you need a third to make it an official game.”
The impact goes beyond the whistle. Referees in soccer have the ability to teach young athletes during games.
“We don’t coach them in the game, but we can teach them what they can and can’t do,” Russell said. “You can see a good referee who works with the kids and interacts with the kids. One that doesn’t just call a foul and go away.”
Soccer is highlighted on all levels in Huntsville. From youth soccer to AHSAA Soccer State Championships and the Huntsville City Football Club.
“I would say that the Huntsville Sports Commission and the city has solidified whatever that vision they had for soccer.”
More officials are needed for the sport to grow in North Alabama and across the state.
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Copyright 2026 WAFF. All rights reserved.
Alabama football took a step forward at the tight end position in 2025.
It may have not been the most exciting, but production was consistent, especially from the now departed Josh Cuevas.
What’s next for the Crimson Tide at tight end? Here are three questions that could define Alabama’s tight ends in 2026.
Can Kaleb Edwards match Josh Cuevas Alabama football production?
Cuevas was Ty Simpson and Alabama’s offensive safety net in 2025. Cuevas was a weapon where if a check down was needed, he caught it.
Kaleb Edwards had a preview of what that responsibility would look like in his first Iron Bowl, making the start for the injured Cuevas. In 60 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, he had two catches for 8 yards. Edwards’ production grew in the SEC championship against Georgia when he had three catches for 42 yards in 36 snaps, per PFF, a game Cuevas also missed.
With a new quarterback in either Austin Mack or Keelon Russell, a tight end with the reliability of Cuevas could be helpful when it comes to momentum and moving the ball downfield. Can Edwards be that answer the Crimson Tide needs?
What role will Josh Ford play with Alabama?
Josh Ford was an early addition to the tight end room via the NCAA transfer portal, joining the roster Dec. 16 after two seasons at Oklahoma State.
He fits the body type, standing at 6-foot-6, 267 pounds, a big-bodied mover who is widely expected to play an integral role in pass protection and run blocking.
While he may not be flashy, could Ford emerge as the cog that drives Alabama into success in the run game and in protecting either Mack or Russell?
Who is next in line after Kaleb Edwards in Alabama tight end room?
Edwards seems to be the pass-catching tight end of Alabama’s near future. But he’s not the only one in contention for reps.
Marshall Pritchett, who played a key role in Alabama’s special teams unit in 2025, is expected to take a step forward as a sophomore. Even Mack Sutter, the four-star freshman out of Dunlap, Illinois, has the pass catching skills to make an immediate impact as a receiver, even if the blocking skills need to be developed.
Edwards may be at the front of the line. But tight end production isn’t all on him once the season kicks off.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
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