Millikan followed Henry Iba who had coached at Northwest Missouri State University while Millikan was growing up in Maryville to Oklahoma A&M. At Oklahoma State He was an "All American", president of the student body and captain of the baseball and basketball teams. He was an assistant coach to Iba in its 1944 National Championship team. Iba gave him the nickname of "Buddy" which was shortened to "Bud." Millikan who had been a member of the Oklahoma State ROTC did not serve in World War II because of asthma. He returned to coach at Maryville High School and later other schools in Iowa. Iba arranged the meeting that brought Millikan to Maryland. After Iba returned to Missouri after the interview it was announced on the radio that Millikan had accepted an offer from Southwest Missouri State University although in fact he had not formally accepted the offer but it prompted Maryland to tell him they could pay him more.