Alabama Crimson Tide basketball — program history

Alabama's basketball program was founded in 1913 but spent most of its history in the shadow of the Crimson Tide's legendary football program. The 'Crimson Tide' nickname was coined by a sportswriter after a 1907 football game played in muddy conditions. Under Nate Oats, Alabama has emerged as a national basketball power with a fast-paced, three-point-heavy style, reaching their first Final Four in 2024. The undefeated 1929-30 team (20-0) was retroactively recognized as national champions.

The name

Sports editor Hugh Roberts coined 'Crimson Tide' after watching Alabama play in the mud in 1907; the elephant mascot Big Al emerged from a 1930 sportswriter's description of players as 'Red Elephants'

Signature moment

Reaching the program's first-ever Final Four in 2024, defeating No. 1 North Carolina and Clemson en route

Big Al the elephant mascot can make appearances at weddings for a $400 fee, with a maximum appearance time of one hour

The Alabama Crimson Tide compete in the SEC and hold an all-time record of 1845–1119 (.622 winning percentage) across 113 recorded seasons dating back to 1912-13. The program has reached 1 Final Four.

Season-by-season results

Season	Record	Conference	Coach	AP peak
2025-26	25-10	13-5 (SEC)	Nate Oats	AP #8
2024-25	28-9	13-5 (SEC)	Nate Oats	AP #2
2023-24	25-12	13-5 (SEC)	Nate Oats	AP #3
2022-23	31-6	16-2 (SEC)	Nate Oats	AP #1
2021-22	19-14	9-9 (SEC)	Nate Oats	AP #6
2020-21	26-7	16-2 (SEC)	Nate Oats	AP #5
2019-20	16-15	8-10 (SEC)	Nate Oats
2018-19	18-16	8-10 (SEC)	Avery Johnson
2017-18	20-16	8-10 (SEC)	Avery Johnson	AP #24
2016-17	19-15	10-8 (SEC)	Avery Johnson
2015-16	18-15	8-10 (SEC)	Avery Johnson
2014-15	19-15	8-10 (SEC)	Anthony Grant,John Brannen
2013-14	13-19	7-11 (SEC)	Anthony Grant
2012-13	23-13	12-6 (SEC)	Anthony Grant
2011-12	21-12	9-7 (SEC)	Anthony Grant	AP #12
2010-11	25-12	12-4 (SEC)	Anthony Grant
2009-10	17-15	6-10 (SEC)	Anthony Grant
2008-09	18-14	7-9 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried,Philip Pearson
2007-08	17-16	5-11 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried
2006-07	20-12	7-9 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried	AP #4
2005-06	18-13	10-6 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried	AP #15
2004-05	24-8	12-4 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried	AP #11
2003-04	20-13	8-8 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried
2002-03	17-12	7-9 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried	AP #1
2001-02	27-8	12-4 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried	AP #5
2000-01	25-11	8-8 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried	AP #14
1999-00	13-16	6-10 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried
1998-99	17-15	6-10 (SEC)	Mark Gottfried
1997-98	15-16	6-10 (SEC)	David Hobbs
1996-97	17-14	6-10 (SEC)	David Hobbs	AP #19
1995-96	19-13	9-7 (SEC)	David Hobbs
1994-95	23-10	10-6 (SEC)	David Hobbs	AP #18
1993-94	20-10	12-4 (SEC)	David Hobbs
1992-93	16-13	7-9 (SEC)	David Hobbs
1991-92	26-9	10-6 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson	AP #9
1990-91	23-10	12-6 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson	AP #6
1989-90	26-9	12-6 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson	AP #19
1988-89	23-8	12-6 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson	AP #20
1987-88	14-17	6-12 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson
1986-87	26-4 *	SEC
1985-86	24-9	13-5 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson	AP #18
1984-85	23-10	11-7 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson
1983-84	18-12	10-8 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson
1982-83	20-12	8-10 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson	AP #5
1981-82	24-7	12-6 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson	AP #8
1980-81	18-11	10-8 (SEC)	Wimp Sanderson
1979-80	18-12	12-6 (SEC)	C.M. Newton
1978-79	22-11	11-7 (SEC)	C.M. Newton	AP #13
1977-78	17-10	11-7 (SEC)	C.M. Newton	AP #15
1976-77	25-6	14-4 (SEC)	C.M. Newton	AP #3
1975-76	23-5	15-3 (SEC)	C.M. Newton	AP #6
1974-75	22-5	15-3 (SEC)	C.M. Newton	AP #5
1973-74	22-4	15-3 (SEC)	C.M. Newton	AP #7
1972-73	22-8	13-5 (SEC)	C.M. Newton	AP #6
1971-72	18-8	13-5 (SEC)	C.M. Newton
1970-71	10-16	6-12 (SEC)	C.M. Newton
1969-70	8-18	5-13 (SEC)	C.M. Newton
1968-69	4-20	1-17 (SEC)	C.M. Newton
1967-68	10-16	3-15 (SEC)	Hayden Riley
1966-67	13-13	6-12 (SEC)	Hayden Riley
1965-66	16-10	9-7 (SEC)	Hayden Riley
1964-65	17-9	9-7 (SEC)	Hayden Riley
1963-64	14-12	7-7 (SEC)	Hayden Riley
1962-63	14-11	7-7 (SEC)	Hayden Riley
1961-62	11-15	6-8 (SEC)	Hayden Riley
1960-61	7-18	5-9 (SEC)	Hayden Riley
1959-60	7-17	4-10 (SEC)	Eugene Lambert
1958-59	10-12	6-8 (SEC)	Eugene Lambert
1957-58	17-9	9-5 (SEC)	Eugene Lambert
1956-57	15-11	7-7 (SEC)	Eugene Lambert	AP #9
1955-56	21-3	14-0 (SEC)	Johnny Dee	AP #4
1954-55	19-5	11-3 (SEC)	Johnny Dee	AP #11
1953-54	16-8	10-4 (SEC)	Johnny Dee
1952-53	12-9	6-7 (SEC)	Johnny Dee
1951-52	13-9	9-5 (SEC)	Floyd Burdette
1950-51	15-8	10-4 (SEC)	Floyd Burdette
1949-50	9-12	8-9 (SEC)	Floyd Burdette
1948-49	13-12	9-9 (SEC)	Floyd Burdette
1947-48	15-12	8-8 (SEC)	Floyd Burdette
1946-47	16-6	13-5 (SEC)	Floyd Burdette
1945-46	11-5	8-4 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1944-45	10-5	5-3 (SEC)	Malcolm Laney
1942-43	10-10	9-9 (SEC)	Paul Burnham
1941-42	18-6	13-4 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1940-41	14-8	11-7 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1939-40	18-5	14-4 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1938-39	16-5	13-4 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1937-38	4-13	4-12 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1936-37	11-10	7-8 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1935-36	15-9	9-6 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1934-35	9-8	8-7 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1933-34	16-2	13-2 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1932-33	14-5	12-3 (SEC)	Hank Crisp
1931-32	16-4	11-3 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1930-31	14-6	11-2 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1929-30	20-0	10-0 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1928-29	16-10	10-6 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1927-28	10-10	5-5 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1926-27	5-8	4-5 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1925-26	10-11	6-6 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1924-25	15-4	5-2 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1923-24	12-4	5-1 (Southern)	Hank Crisp
1922-23	20-5	3-3 (Southern)	Charles Bernier
1921-22	15-4	6-1 (Southern)	Charles Bernier
1920-21	12-10	Ind	Charles Bernier
1919-20	5-7	Ind	Bill Moore
1918-19	3-3	Ind	Yancey Goodall
1917-18	2-5	Ind	Lonnie Noojin
1916-17	6-8	Ind	Thomas Kelly
1915-16	13-4	Ind	Griff Harsh
1914-15	7-4	Ind	Tubby Graves
1913-14	6-4	Ind	Tubby Graves
1912-13	7-4	Ind	Tubby Graves

* Season vacated by the NCAA — absent from the official season table; record computed from the game log and not counted in official totals or rankings.

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Alabama Crimson Tide basketball — program history

The name

Signature moment

Season-by-season results

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All-time wins

On this day

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