Buckingham replaced Liam Manning on November 16 last year, taking over a side sitting second in Sky Bet League One.
It wasn’t a smooth sailing journey initially, but ultimately Buckingham guided the U’s to promotion via the play-offs.
United made an encouraging start to life in the Championship, with three wins in their opening five games, but then slumped to a patchy run consisting of just one victory in their last 15 matches.
The U’s were beaten 3-1 at home against Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend, with the defeat leaving the side 20th in the table, a point above the relegation zone.
We had a look at 12 games which defined Buckingham’s tenure at his hometown club.
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November 25: Cheltenham Town (A)
Buckingham’s first game ended in a 2-0 defeat on the road against a struggling Robins side.
Rob Street gave the hosts the lead with a fine strike, but he was then shown a straight red card for an elbow on Stephan Negru in stoppage time at the end of the first 45 minutes.
Ruben Rodrigues made sure both sides played the final 22 minutes with 10 men when he picked up a second yellow card, while Will Goodwin gave the Robins a two-goal buffer when he scrambled the ball in from close range.
March 12: Bolton Wanderers (A)
Arguably the biggest turning point in Buckingham’s stint, with United outclassed from the first whistle as the Trotters romped to a 5-0 thumping on a humiliating night in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
Wing backs Nathanael Ogbeta and Josh Dacres-Cogley ensured the hosts had a two-goal lead at the break, before a ruthless 10-minute spell saw the Trotters net three more times in the second period.
March 16: Port Vale (A)
It was imperative the U’s responded with a win at all costs in the next game.
They got that, as Ciaron Brown smashed, before Josh Murphy doubled the advantage with a wonderful effort from a short corner.
April 13: Peterborough United (H)
As dismal as the Trotters defeat was, United were just as majestic against the Posh.
Mark Harris put the U’s in front from the penalty spot, with the lead doubled by Murphy just after half an hour had been played.
Rodrigues netted seven minutes before the break, and made it a brace with a lovely diving header before an hour had played.
Billy Bodin put the icing on the cake when his audacious lob sailed into the back of the net.
United went into the final day of the season sitting seventh and outside the play-offs on goal difference.
Harris gave the U’s an important early lead, before a Cameron Brannagan penalty five minutes before half-time doubled the advantage.
Millenic Alli ensured it would be a nervy second period when he scored seven minutes after the break, but United held on.
May 4: Peterborough United (H)
Finishing fifth set up a semi-final with a Posh side seeking revenge for their mauling just a few weeks earlier.
The U’s earned a slender lead in the home leg thanks to Elliott Moore’s header eight minutes into the second half.
May 8: Peterborough United (A)
United booked a trip to Wembley after a hard-fought draw in the second leg of the semi-final.
Josh Knight levelled the tie four minutes before half-time when he arrived at the back post to find the net from a free kick, but the U’s responded quickly as Brannagan scored from the penalty spot in first half stoppage time.
Jamie Cumming’s heroics kept the Posh at bay, with jubilant scenes at full-time.
May 18: Bolton Wanderers (N)
Murphy’s role in the weeks leading up to Wembley had continued to grow with each game, and he was quite simply unstoppable in the play-off final.
A first half brace saw an effort take a nick and deflect into the top corner, while the finish for his double was sensational.
Despite being underdogs for the game, Buckingham produced a tactical masterclass to thwart the Trotters, who failed to even register a shot on target.
The opening game of the Championship season couldn’t have been much harder, up against a Canaries side which had finished in the play-offs a few months earlier.
A relentless press helped Harris open the scoring just before the half hour mark, before Brannagan slammed United into a 2-0 lead as the game approached the hour.
November 23: Middlesbrough (H)
Further home wins against Preston North End, Stoke City and Hull City followed, but the euphoria of the start had certainly died down by the time Boro arrived.
Greg Leigh gave the U’s the lead just after the midway point of the first half, but Boro hit back with four goals in a 12-minute spell.
Emmanuel Latte Lath scored from the penalty spot eight minutes before the break, while Finn Azaz put Boro in front with an arrowed strike.
Latte Lath then beat the offside trap to add his second shortly before half-time, and completed his hat-trick with only four minutes played of the second half.
Dane Scarlett gave United hope of an unlikely comeback, but further quickfire goals from Tommy Conway and Azaz handed Boro a convincing victory.
December 11: Queens Park Rangers (A)
The U’s put in a tame display as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at QPR.
Sam Field opened the scoring eight minutes into the second half and doubled his tally quarter of an hour later, with United registering just one shot on target.
December 14: Sheffield Wednesday (H)
Buckingham’s final match in charge saw the U’s extend their rotten run of form to one win in 15 games.
United were admittedly much better than against QPR, but were again ruthlessly exposed.
Leigh gave the U’s the lead, but a little over 10 minutes after going in front, Josh Windass levelled the game.
Second half goals from Jamal Lowe and Djeidi Gassama then put the Owls in firm control.