MBB Head Coach Lennie Acuff announces he will leave Lipscomb

Lipscomb announced this morning that men’s basketball Head Coach Lennie Acuff has accepted the head coaching position at Samford University.

President Candice McQueen said that Acuff informed the university of his plans just this morning. The decision was driven by his desire to be nearer to family during this season of life, according to Acuff. The opportunity to coach at Samford allows him to return to his home state of Alabama and be nearer to his children and wife’s aging parents.

Acuff has been the head coach at Lipscomb since 2019, and has just recently coached the team to its fourth ASUN conference championship win and second NCAA Tournament appearance. This season marked his third consecutive year bringing the team to 20-plus wins, just the second time this has been accomplished in the team’s D1 history. He also kept the Bisons in the top 100 of the NET rankings. These and many other outstanding achievements earned him the title of ASUN Coach of the Year.

“A nationwide search for our next head coach is already underway,” McQueen said in a statement this morning. “Director of Athletics Philip Hutcheson is leading the search to actively identify and interview candidates. Lipscomb has a rich basketball tradition, and we are confident this position will draw significant interest from high-caliber candidates.”

We will provide more news on the progression of the search when it becomes available.

Feature image of Head Coach Lennie Acuff watching his team from the sidelines at the NCAA Tournament taken by Micah Barkley.