Coach Bucky McMillan Clashes With AD Trev Alberts Over Unpaid Salary and Bonus
In what has become a headline-grabbing showdown at the heart of collegiate athletics, Samford University’s rising star coach, Bucky McMillan, is now embroiled in a bitter dispute with newly appointed Athletic Director Trev Alberts over what he alleges are unpaid salary installments and performance bonuses.
According to internal sources close to the athletic department, tensions began brewing quietly months ago. McMillan, hailed for transforming the Bulldogs into a Southern Conference powerhouse, had reportedly been waiting on deferred portions of his 2023–2024 salary—an amount estimated at nearly $180,000—as well as a significant bonus tied to the team’s unexpected run to the NCAA Tournament’s second round. That bonus alone was said to be worth an additional $120,000, per the terms of his renegotiated contract signed last year.
Despite repeated inquiries, emails, and even a formal letter sent through his legal team in early July, Coach McMillan says he received no substantive response. “This isn’t just about money,” McMillan reportedly told confidants. “It’s about respect. I’ve poured everything into this program.”
Enter Trev Alberts, the former Nebraska AD who was hired in late spring with a mandate to “modernize and fiscally restructure” Samford’s athletics operations. Alberts, known for his tough budgetary decisions and firm stance on contract compliance, allegedly took issue with several clauses in McMillan’s bonus structure—particularly those related to media appearances, private donor events, and win-based escalators that had not been “formally documented” in the athletic department’s internal ledgers.
“Coach McMillan has been an invaluable part of Samford’s success,” Alberts said in a tense press conference last week. “But the university must also ensure that financial practices align with institutional oversight. There are discrepancies we are actively working through.”
Those comments did not sit well with McMillan’s camp. His agent, former NBA executive Todd Strickland, issued a sharply worded statement Monday: “Coach McMillan has honored every clause, spoken and signed, in his contract. If Mr. Alberts and Samford University are attempting to void financial obligations due to bureaucratic inefficiencies, they are not only acting in bad faith—they are breaking the law.”
Now, whispers of legal action are gaining steam. Multiple outlets have reported that McMillan has retained a high-profile Birmingham attorney and is exploring breach of contract litigation, while some boosters have voiced concern about the administration’s handling of one of the school’s most beloved figures.
Players, too, appear rattled. One senior starter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Coach B deserves better. We don’t want distractions, but this feels wrong.”
As preseason training approaches, what should be a time of optimism is instead clouded by a fight that may redefine the balance of power in Samford athletics. If a resolution isn’t reached soon, McMillan’s future with the Bulldogs could hang in the balance—and Trev Alberts may find his tenure off to a combustible start.
