Lennie Acuff was named the 30th head coach in Bulldogs program history on April 9, 2025.
Acuff enters his second season with Samford after leading the team to an 18-14 record in his first campaign in the 2025-26 year. The Dogs went 11-7 in Southern Conference play, tied for second place in the conference. The Bulldogs had the best assist/turnover ratio in the conference as a team. Acuff coached the SoCon Player of the Year in Jadin Booth, along with fellow First Team All-Conference member Dylan Faulkner. The Samford duo was the top-scoring pair in the SoCon. Under Acuff, Booth led the nation in three-point makes during the regular season with 127.
Acuff arrived in Birmingham with a storied coaching career of success, spending the previous six seasons as head coach at Lipscomb University. Acuff guided the Bisons to the NCAA Tournament this past season as Lipscomb finished with a 25-10 record overall and a 14-4 Atlantic Sun mark. The Bisons have had three straight 20-win seasons under Acuff, who compiled a 110-82 record overall in his time leading the Lipscomb program.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the head basketball coach at Samford University," said Acuff. "I am grateful to Dr. Taylor and Martin Newton for believing in me and entrusting me with a basketball program that has enjoyed unparalleled success over the past five years under coach Bucky McMillan. Samford University is a special place and I can assure everyone who loves this institution that we will work tirelessly to put a team on the floor that you will be proud of while never compromising what the university stands for."
Lipscomb completed the season sweep by winning the ASUN regular-season and conference tournament titles, with Acuff earning conference Coach of the Year. The Bisons earned a 14-seed in the NCAA Tournament as they matched up with 3-seed Iowa State. Acuff had three players named to All-ASUN teams, and Jacob Ognacevic was named the conference Player of the Year.
Acuff is known for his efficient offense that ranked 27th nationally in effective field-goal percentage this season. His Lipscomb teams have ranked top-four in scoring offense each of the past four seasons in the ASUN and they led the league in field goal percentage each of the last three seasons.
"Coach Lennie Acuff is the perfect fit for Samford," said Samford President Beck A. Taylor. "His 35 years of head coaching experience, his commitment to basketball excellence and to pursuing championships, and his deep Christian faith will put the Samford men's basketball program in a position to succeed. We warmly welcome Coach Acuff and his wife, Kelly, to the Samford Bulldog family."
Prior to his time in Nashville, Acuff built the University of Alabama in Huntsville into a national power. In his 22 seasons with the Chargers, Acuff compiled a 437-214 record and had 20 winning seasons. He led UAH to eight Gulf South Conference regular-season titles and won the GSC tournament three times. The all-time winningest coach in GSC history, he was named conference Coach of the Year a record eight times and NABC District Coach of the Year four times.
At UAH, Acuff made 11 Division II NCAA Tournament appearances, winning the NCAA South Regional twice and earning two trips to the Elite Eight. Acuff had the Chargers ranked in the top 25 for 44 straight weeks and peaked at No. 2 in the nation during the 2011-12 season.
Acuff spent four years as the head coach at Berry College, where he turned around the NAIA program, earning back-to-back 20-win seasons before returning to his hometown of Huntsville to lead the UAH program. He began his coaching career at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, where at age 25 he became the nation's youngest head coach at a four-year college.
A 1988 graduate from Shorter College, now Shorter University, Acuff had a stellar playing career that led to his induction into the school's Hall of Fame in 2011. He still holds school records for assists in a single game, season and career.
A native of Huntsville, Acuff is married to the former Kelly Gregory of Mobile. The Acuffs are proud parents of two children, Will and Molly.
| Year-By-Year Coaching Record |
| School |
Year |
Overall |
Conference |
Notes |
| Samford |
2025-26 |
18-14 |
11-7 |
|
| Lipscomb |
2024-25 |
25-10 |
14-4 |
Regular Season & Conference Tournament Champion
NCAA Tournament
ASUN Coach of the Year |
| Lipscomb |
2023-24 |
20-12 |
11-5 |
|
| Lipscomb |
2022-23 |
20-13 |
11-7 |
|
| Lipscomb |
2021-22 |
14-19 |
6-10 |
|
| Lipscomb |
2020-21 |
15-12 |
9-6 |
|
| Lipscomb |
2019-20 |
16-16 |
9-7 |
|
| Alabama-Huntsville |
1997-2019 |
437-214 |
229-113 |
8 Regular Season GSC Championships
3 GSC Tournament Championships
11 NCAA Tournament Appearances |
| Berry College |
1993-97 |
65-64 |
|
|
| Belhaven |
1990-93 |
49-50 |
|
|
|
35 Seasons |
679-424 |
300-159 |
|
