Lennie Acuff

Last updated
Lennie Acuff
Current position
TitleHead coach
Team Lipscomb
Conference Atlantic Sun
Record91–76 (.545)
Biographical details
Born (1965-01-24) January 24, 1965 (age 59)
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
1985–1988 Shorter
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1990–1992 Belhaven
1993–1997 Berry
1997–2019 Alabama–Huntsville
2019–present Lipscomb
Head coaching record
Overall641–398 (.617) 96-99 (.492) (NAIA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Gulf South regular season
Gulf South tournament (2012, 2015, 2017)
Awards
8× Gulf South Coach of the Year (1999, 2003, 2005, 2010–2012, 2015, 2016)

Lennie Acuff (born January 24, 1965) is an American basketball coach, currently head coach of the Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team. [1]

Contents

Playing career

Acuff attended Shorter College where he set the single game, single season and career record for assists, which still stand to this day. [2]

Coaching career

At 25, Acuff landed his first head coaching job with Belhaven College where he posted a 31–35 record over two seasons. [3] He then moved on to Berry College where he'd compile a 65–64 overall record with back-to-back 20-win seasons in his final two seasons. [4] Acuff would accept the head coaching position at Alabama–Huntsville, the town he grew up in. Over the course of 22 seasons at the helm of the Chargers, he would guide the team to eight Gulf South Conference regular season crowns, three conference tournament titles and 11 NCAA Division II tournament appearances, including the Elite Eight in 2011 and 2012. [2] [1]

On April 24, 2019 Acuff was named the 19th head men's basketball coach at Lipscomb, replacing Casey Alexander who departed for the same position at Belmont. [1] [5]

Head coaching record

NAIA

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Belhaven College (N/A)(1990–1992)
1990–91Belhaven 14–19
1991–92Belhaven 17–16
Belhaven NAIA:31–35 (.470)
Berry College (N/A)(1993–1997)
1993–94Berry College 13–20
1994–95Berry College 11–19
1995–96Berry College 20–13
1996–97Berry College 21–12
Berry College NAIA:65–64 (.504)
Total:96–99 (.492)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA DII

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Alabama–Huntsville (Gulf South Conference)(1997–2019)
1997–98Alabama–Huntsville 9–175–97th (East)
1998–99Alabama–Huntsville 15–129–53rd (East)
1999–00Alabama–Huntsville 22–711–31st (East)NCAA Second Round
2000–01Alabama–Huntsville 19–89–52nd (East)
2001–02Alabama–Huntsville 17–97–75th (East)
2001–02Alabama–Huntsville 17–97–75th (East)
2002–03Alabama–Huntsville 20–1111–31st (East)NCAA First Round
2003–04Alabama–Huntsville 14–136–86th (East)
2004–05Alabama–Huntsville 16–129–53rd (East)
2005–06Alabama–Huntsville 22–810–42nd (East) NCAA first round
2006–07Alabama–Huntsville 18–116–64th (East)
2007–08Alabama–Huntsville 13–156–64th (East)
2008–09Alabama–Huntsville 17–117–54th (East)
2009–10Alabama–Huntsville 23–79–11st (East) NCAA first round
2010–11Alabama–Huntsville 29–511–11st (East) NCAA Elite Eight
2011–12Alabama–Huntsville 29–413–11st NCAA Elite Eight
2012–13Alabama–Huntsville 25–615–32nd NCAA Sweet 16
2013–14Alabama–Huntsville 15–1311–95th
2014–15Alabama–Huntsville 23–915–71st NCAA first round
2015–16Alabama–Huntsville 25–818–41st NCAA Sweet 16
2016–17Alabama–Huntsville 26–817–52nd NCAA Sweet 16
2017–18Alabama–Huntsville 16–129–119th
2018–19Alabama–Huntsville 24–815–53rd NCAA first round
Alabama–Huntsville:454–223 (.671)236–120 (.663)
Total:454–223 (.671)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA DI

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun)(2019–present)
2019–20 Lipscomb 16–169–73rd
2020–21 Lipscomb 15–129–63rd
2021–22 Lipscomb 14–196–104th (West)
2022–23 Lipscomb 20–1311–75th
2023–24 Lipscomb 20–1211–5T–2nd
2024–25 Lipscomb 6–40–0
Lipscomb:91–76 (.545)46–35 (.568)
Total:91–76 (.545)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pelphrey</span> American college basketball coach (born 1968)

John Leslie Pelphrey is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. After being named Kentucky Mr. Basketball in 1987, he became a star college player at the University of Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Altman</span> American college basketball coach

Dana Dean Altman is an American college basketball coach of the Oregon Ducks men's team. Previously he was head coach at Creighton, Kansas State and Marshall. He has been awarded a Coach of the Year Award for each team that he has coached in the NCAA to go with ten conference tournament championships and seven regular season titles while reaching the NCAA tournament sixteen times; he led the Ducks to the Final Four in 2017, which was their first as a program since 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Gottfried</span> American basketball player and coach

Mark Frederick Gottfried is an American men's college basketball coach, basketball podcaster, and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Cal State Northridge Matadors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball</span> Mens College Basketball team

The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team represents the University of Alabama in NCAA Division I men's basketball. The program plays in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Among SEC teams it trails only long-time basketball powerhouse Kentucky in SEC tournament titles, is third behind Kentucky and Tennessee in SEC regular season conference titles, and is fourth behind Kentucky, Texas, and Arkansas in total wins. Alabama was retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA tournament national champion for the 1929–30 season by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. The team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 24 times, most recently in 2024, and has made ten Sweet Sixteens, two Elite Eights, and one Final Four in the tournament. Alabama's current head coach is Nate Oats.

Donald D. Maestri Jr. is an American college basketball coach who was the head men's basketball coach at Troy University from 1982 to 2013. Prior to accepting this position, Maestri was an assistant coach at Mississippi State University from 1979 to 1980 and at the University of Alabama from 1980 to 1982. Maestri coached the Trojans to a record of 500–404, one NCAA basketball tournament, five regular season conference titles, and one conference tournament title over the course of 26 seasons at Troy. He has been named coach of the year in the East Coast Conference (1994), the Summit League, Atlantic Sun Conference and the Sun Belt Conference (2009)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Alabama Lions</span> Collegiate sports teams in Florence, Alabama

The North Alabama Lions are the athletic teams of the University of North Alabama, located in Florence, Alabama. The Lions are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and compete within the ASUN Conference for all sports except football, which plays in the United Athletic Conference. The university has a total of 14 varsity sports teams, six men's teams and eight women's teams. The fall of 2018 marked the Lion's first year of their transition into Division I. They have a storied tradition in Division II and have earned numerous national titles competing in NCAA Division II's Gulf South Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Alabama Tigers</span> Athletic teams representing University of West Alabama

The West Alabama Tigers are the athletic teams that represent the University of West Alabama, located in Livingston, Alabama, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Tigers have primarily competed in the Gulf South Conference since the 1970–71 academic year. Men's and women's rodeo compete as affiliate members in the Ozark Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

The Murray State Racers men's basketball program represents Murray State University in intercollegiate men's basketball. Murray State is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), having joined that conference in 2022 after 74 seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers have played home games at the CFSB Center on their campus in Murray, Kentucky since 1998. Murray State made its 18th appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2022. Five times the Racers advanced in the tournament, most recently by defeating the University of San Francisco in 2022. In 1988, Murray State defeated NC State in the first round but lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat Vanderbilt and lost to eventual runner-up Butler in the second round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama–Huntsville Chargers</span> Athletic teams based at University of Alabama in Huntsville

The Alabama–Huntsville Chargers are the athletic teams that represent the University of Alabama in Huntsville, located in Huntsville, Alabama, in intercollegiate sports at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Chargers have primarily competed in the Gulf South Conference since the 1993–94 academic year.

Carol Ross is an American college and professional basketball coach. Ross has served as the head women's basketball coach for the University of Florida and the University of Mississippi, and also as the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Casey Alexander is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Belmont University. He previously served as head coach at Stetson University and Lipscomb University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Trojans</span> Athletic teams representing Troy University

The Troy Trojans are the sports teams of Troy University. They began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. Troy University's athletics nickname was the Red Wave until the early 1970s when the student body voted to change the name to Trojans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nate Oats</span> American basketball coach (born 1974)

Nathanael Justin Oats is an American basketball coach, currently the head men's basketball coach at the University of Alabama. Prior to Alabama, he was the head coach at the University at Buffalo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season</span> 81st season of NCAA Division I Mens Basketball

The 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2018. The first tournament was the 2K Sports Classic and the season concluded with the Final Four in Minneapolis on April 8, 2019. Practices officially began on September 28, 2018. The season saw Zion Williamson dominate Player of the Year honors and media attention, while Virginia won its first NCAA Championship. The NCAA Championship Game between Virginia and Texas Tech would mark the final NCAA game with a 20-foot 9 inch three-point shot line, as it moved out to the FIBA standard of 22 feet and 2 inches the following year.

The 2019–20 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represented Lipscomb University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bisons, led by first-year head coach Lennie Acuff, played their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

The 2020–21 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represented Lipscomb University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bisons, led by 2nd-year head coach Lennie Acuff, played their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference. They finished the season 15-12, 9-6 in ASUN Play to finish in 3rd place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the ASUN tournament to Florida Gulf Coast.

The 2021–22 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represented Lipscomb University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bisons, led by 3rd-year head coach Lennie Acuff, played their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the West Division of the ASUN Conference.

The 2022–23 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represented Lipscomb University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bisons, led by fourth-year head coach Lennie Acuff, played their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the ASUN Conference.

The 2023–24 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represented Lipscomb University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bisons, led by fifth-year head coach Lennie Acuff, played their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the ASUN Conference.

The 2024–25 Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team represents Lipscomb University during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bisons, led by sixth-year head coach Lennie Acuff, play their home games at the Allen Arena in Nashville, Tennessee as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kirk Downs (April 24, 2019). "Lennie Acuff Tabbed to Lead Lipscomb Men's Basketball". LipscombSports.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Lennie Acuff - Men's Basketball Coach". UAH Athletics.
  3. "Men's Basketball Coaching Records". blazers.belhaven.edu.
  4. "Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  5. "Lipscomb basketball hires 500-game winner Lennie Acuff from Alabama-Huntsville". The Tennessean.