Lennie Acuff

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Lennie Acuff
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamLipscomb
ConferenceAtlantic Sun
Record85–72 (.541)
Biographical details
Born (1965-01-24) January 24, 1965 (age 59)
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Playing career
1985–1988Shorter
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1990–1992Belhaven
1993–1997Berry
1997–2019Alabama–Huntsville
2019–presentLipscomb
Head coaching record
Overall635–394 (.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]

Playing career[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

NAIA[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Belhaven College (N/A) (1990–1992)
1990–91 Belhaven 14–19
1991–92 Belhaven 17–16
Belhaven NAIA: 31–35 (.470)
Berry College (N/A) (1993–1997)
1993–94 Berry College 13–20
1994–95 Berry College 11–19
1995–96 Berry College 20–13
1996–97 Berry 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[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Alabama–Huntsville (Gulf South Conference) (1997–2019)
1997–98 Alabama–Huntsville 9–17 5–9 7th (East)
1998–99 Alabama–Huntsville 15–12 9–5 3rd (East)
1999–00 Alabama–Huntsville 22–7 11–3 1st (East) NCAA Second Round
2000–01 Alabama–Huntsville 19–8 9–5 2nd (East)
2001–02 Alabama–Huntsville 17–9 7–7 5th (East)
2001–02 Alabama–Huntsville 17–9 7–7 5th (East)
2002–03 Alabama–Huntsville 20–11 11–3 1st (East) NCAA First Round
2003–04 Alabama–Huntsville 14–13 6–8 6th (East)
2004–05 Alabama–Huntsville 16–12 9–5 3rd (East)
2005–06 Alabama–Huntsville 22–8 10–4 2nd (East) NCAA first round
2006–07 Alabama–Huntsville 18–11 6–6 4th (East)
2007–08 Alabama–Huntsville 13–15 6–6 4th (East)
2008–09 Alabama–Huntsville 17–11 7–5 4th (East)
2009–10 Alabama–Huntsville 23–7 9–1 1st (East) NCAA first round
2010–11 Alabama–Huntsville 29–5 11–1 1st (East) NCAA Elite Eight
2011–12 Alabama–Huntsville 29–4 13–1 1st NCAA Elite Eight
2012–13 Alabama–Huntsville 25–6 15–3 2nd NCAA Sweet 16
2013–14 Alabama–Huntsville 15–13 11–9 5th
2014–15 Alabama–Huntsville 23–9 15–7 1st NCAA first round
2015–16 Alabama–Huntsville 25–8 18–4 1st NCAA Sweet 16
2016–17 Alabama–Huntsville 26–8 17–5 2nd NCAA Sweet 16
2017–18 Alabama–Huntsville 16–12 9–11 9th
2018–19 Alabama–Huntsville 24–8 15–5 3rd 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[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun) (2019–present)
2019–20 Lipscomb 16–16 9–7 3rd
2020–21 Lipscomb 15–12 9–6 3rd
2021–22 Lipscomb 14–19 6–10 4th (West)
2022–23 Lipscomb 20–13 11–7 5th
2023–24 Lipscomb 20–12 11–5 T–2nd
Lipscomb: 85–72 (.541) 46–35 (.568)
Total: 85–72 (.541)

      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

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b "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.