BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Former University of Alabama in Huntsville men's basketball head coach Lennie Acuff has been selected to the 2023 class of the Gulf South Conference Hall of Fame, as announced by the conference office on Monday.
"For more than 50 years, the Gulf South Conference has cultivated a tradition of excellence not just on the field or courts, but also in the classroom and community as well," said GSC Commissioner Matt Wilson. "This blockbuster Hall of Fame class is a strong portrayal of what our conference stands for and is a great representation of our motto—Compete. Graduate. Impact."
This is the conference's ninth class enshrined since the Hall of Fame's inception in 2014. Honorees will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 31 at 5:30 pm CT at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Hotel in Pensacola, Fla. Information regarding tickets will be released prior the event. The ceremony will also be live streamed through GSC's Facebook Page.
Acuff will join five others in being enshrined this year, and will become UAH's eighth GSC Hall of Fame honoree as he joins softball alums Melanie Carter, Lane Davis, Stephanie Pinto, Wendy Hurst Stewart, and Audrey Williams along with former Director of Athletics Jim Harris and men's basketball alum Josh Magette.
During his 22 years at the helm of the UAH program, the Huntsville native Acuff established the Chargers as a national power, going 436-214 in that time. He has since been at the helm of Lipscomb's men's basketball program since 2019, owning a 65-60 record with the Bisons for an overall record of 624-377 in 32 seasons as a head coach that also includes stops at Belhaven and Berry.
Acuff left the Gulf South Conference as the league's all-time leader in wins in 2019, and for his success in his hometown, he was inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Hall of Fame in 2018. Acuff additionally has been named to the UAH Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023, and will be inducted during UAH's Alumni Weekend which is set for Sept. 21-23.
Under Acuff the Chargers enjoyed 20 winning seasons, appeared in the GSC tournament 18 times, won eight GSC regular season titles, captured three GSC tournament championships, and earned 11 trips to the NCAA tournament. For his efforts, Acuff was named the NABC District Coach of the Year four times (2000, 2011, 2012, and 2013), and he was honored as the GSC Coach of the Year a conference-record eight times (1999, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016).
Two of Acuff's trips to the NCAA tournament resulted in Elite Eight appearances as the Chargers won the NCAA South Regional in both 2011 and 2012, and the national quarterfinal berths were part of a terrific span of success that saw UAH in the national polls for 44 straight weeks including a No. 2 ranking to end the 2011-12 season. Making the 2012 South Region title even more special, Acuff won his 400th career game on the sideline in that contest.
The team's achievements were also recognized on a national level as Acuff's team was the first Division II program invited to play in the NIT Season Tip-Off in 2012, and the Chargers defeated North Texas in the opening round of the prestigious event.
In total, Acuff's UAH squads reached the regional final five times in seven years from 2011 to 2017, making the Chargers one of only two teams in the nation to perform that feat in the same span.
Acuff's teams during his tenure of tremendous success featured several prominent players, including Magette, Zane Campbell, and Jaime Smith who all earned All-American status during their time in Huntsville. Magette was named the Daktronics South Region Player of the Year in 2012 while setting the GSC record for career assists, and Smith earned the South Region Player of the Year award in 2013. All three went on to have professional careers after their playing days in the Rocket City, including Magette who became the first Charger to land on an NBA roster as he appeared in 18 games for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2017-18 season after playing for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA G League in the 2013-14, 2015-16, and 2016-17 seasons.
In total, Acuff's teams featured four first team All-Americans, five GSC Players of the Year, four GSC Freshmen of the Year, and 36 All-Gulf South Conference selections.