BYU's basketball program was established in 1902, making it one of the oldest west of the Mississippi. The 'Cougars' name was adopted in 1923 when athletic director Eugene L. Roberts chose the animal for its strength, agility, and quickness. BYU captured national attention in 2011 when Jimmer Fredette's sensational scoring sparked 'Jimmermania' — earning him the Naismith Award while leading the country in scoring. The program has won 27 conference championships and produced NBA talent like Danny Ainge. BYU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
Athletic director Eugene L. Roberts chose 'Cougars' in 1923 because the animal is native to Utah and exemplified strength, agility, and quickness
Jimmer Fredette's 2011 'Jimmermania' season — scoring 52 points against New Mexico and winning the Naismith Award as national player of the year
Jimmer Fredette dropped 49 points at Arizona's McKale Center in 2009, still the most points ever scored by a visiting player there — the Arizona fans gave him a standing ovation
The BYU Cougars compete in the Big 12 and hold an all-time record of 1944–1170 (.624 winning percentage) across 122 recorded seasons dating back to 1902-03.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 23-11 | 9-9 (Big 12) | Kevin Young | AP #7 |
| 2024-25 | 26-10 | 14-6 (Big 12) | Kevin Young | AP #13 |
| 2023-24 | 23-11 | 10-8 (Big 12) | Mark Pope | AP #12 |
| 2022-23 | 19-15 | 7-9 (WCC) | Mark Pope | |
| 2021-22 | 24-11 | 9-6 (WCC) | Mark Pope | AP #12 |
| 2020-21 | 20-7 | 10-3 (WCC) | Mark Pope | AP #23 |
| 2019-20 | 24-8 | 13-3 (WCC) | Mark Pope | AP #14 |
| 2018-19 | 19-13 | 11-5 (WCC) | Dave Rose | |
| 2017-18 | 24-11 | 11-7 (WCC) | Dave Rose | |
| 2014-15 | 25-10 | 13-5 (WCC) | Dave Rose | |
| 2013-14 | 23-12 | 13-5 (WCC) | Dave Rose | |
| 2012-13 | 24-12 | 10-6 (WCC) | Dave Rose | |
| 2011-12 | 26-9 | 12-4 (WCC) | Dave Rose | |
| 2010-11 | 32-5 | 14-2 (MWC) | Dave Rose | AP #3 |
| 2009-10 | 30-6 | 13-3 (MWC) | Dave Rose | AP #12 |
| 2008-09 | 25-8 | 12-4 (MWC) | Dave Rose | AP #25 |
| 2007-08 | 27-8 | 14-2 (MWC) | Dave Rose | AP #20 |
| 2006-07 | 25-9 | 13-3 (MWC) | Dave Rose | AP #21 |
| 2005-06 | 20-9 | 12-4 (MWC) | Dave Rose | |
| 2004-05 | 9-21 | 3-11 (MWC) | Steve Cleveland | |
| 2003-04 | 21-9 | 10-4 (MWC) | Steve Cleveland | |
| 2002-03 | 23-9 | 11-3 (MWC) | Steve Cleveland | |
| 2001-02 | 18-12 | 7-7 (MWC) | Steve Cleveland | |
| 2000-01 | 24-9 | 10-4 (MWC) | Steve Cleveland | |
| 1999-00 | 22-11 | 7-7 (MWC) | Steve Cleveland | |
| 1998-99 | 12-16 | 6-8 (WAC) | Steve Cleveland | |
| 1997-98 | 9-21 | 4-10 (WAC) | Steve Cleveland | |
| 1996-97 | 1-25 | 0-16 (WAC) | Roger Reid,Tony Ingle | |
| 1995-96 | 15-13 | 9-9 (WAC) | Roger Reid | |
| 1994-95 | 22-10 | 13-5 (WAC) | Roger Reid | |
| 1993-94 | 22-10 | 12-6 (WAC) | Roger Reid | |
| 1992-93 | 25-9 | 15-3 (WAC) | Roger Reid | AP #21 |
| 1991-92 | 25-7 | 12-4 (WAC) | Roger Reid | |
| 1990-91 | 21-13 | 11-5 (WAC) | Roger Reid | |
| 1989-90 | 21-9 | 11-5 (WAC) | Roger Reid | |
| 1988-89 | 14-15 | 7-9 (WAC) | Ladell Andersen | |
| 1987-88 | 26-6 | 13-3 (WAC) | Ladell Andersen | AP #3 |
| 1986-87 | 21-11 | 12-4 (WAC) | Ladell Andersen | |
| 1985-86 | 18-14 | 11-5 (WAC) | Ladell Andersen | |
| 1984-85 | 15-14 | 9-7 (WAC) | Ladell Andersen | |
| 1983-84 | 20-11 | 12-4 (WAC) | Ladell Andersen | |
| 1982-83 | 15-14 | 11-5 (WAC) | Frank Arnold | |
| 1981-82 | 17-13 | 9-7 (WAC) | Frank Arnold | AP #15 |
| 1980-81 | 25-7 | 12-4 (WAC) | Frank Arnold | AP #15 |
| 1979-80 | 24-5 | 13-1 (WAC) | Frank Arnold | AP #12 |
| 1978-79 | 20-8 | 10-2 (WAC) | Frank Arnold | |
| 1977-78 | 12-18 | 6-8 (WAC) | Frank Arnold | |
| 1976-77 | 12-15 | 4-10 (WAC) | Frank Arnold | |
| 1975-76 | 12-14 | 6-8 (WAC) | Frank Arnold | |
| 1974-75 | 12-14 | 5-9 (WAC) | Glenn Potter | |
| 1973-74 | 11-15 | 6-8 (WAC) | Glenn Potter | |
| 1972-73 | 19-7 | 9-5 (WAC) | Glenn Potter | AP #12 |
| 1971-72 | 21-5 | 12-2 (WAC) | Stan Watts | AP #6 |
| 1970-71 | 18-11 | 10-4 (WAC) | Stan Watts | AP #20 |
| 1969-70 | 8-18 | 4-10 (WAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1968-69 | 16-12 | 6-4 (WAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1967-68 | 13-12 | 4-6 (WAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1966-67 | 14-10 | 8-2 (WAC) | Stan Watts | AP #7 |
| 1965-66 | 20-5 | 6-4 (WAC) | Stan Watts | AP #6 |
| 1964-65 | 21-7 | 8-2 (WAC) | Stan Watts | AP #9 |
| 1963-64 | 13-12 | 5-5 (WAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1962-63 | 12-14 | 6-4 (WAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1961-62 | 10-16 | 5-9 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1960-61 | 15-11 | 9-5 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1959-60 | 8-17 | 5-9 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1958-59 | 15-11 | 8-6 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1957-58 | 13-13 | 9-5 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1956-57 | 19-9 | 11-3 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1955-56 | 18-8 | 10-4 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | AP #5 |
| 1954-55 | 13-13 | 10-4 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1953-54 | 18-11 | 9-5 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | AP #19 |
| 1952-53 | 22-8 | 11-3 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1951-52 | 14-10 | 9-5 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1950-51 | 28-9 | 15-5 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | AP #11 |
| 1949-50 | 22-12 | 14-6 (MSAC) | Stan Watts | |
| 1948-49 | 21-13 | 11-9 (MSAC) | Floyd Millet | |
| 1947-48 | 16-11 | 8-2 (MSAC) | Floyd Millet | |
| 1946-47 | 9-16 | 3-9 (MSAC) | Floyd Millet | |
| 1945-46 | 12-13 | 6-6 (MSAC) | Floyd Millet | |
| 1944-45 | 11-12 | 5-5 (MSAC) | Floyd Millet | |
| 1943-44 | 3-2 | Ind | Floyd Millet | |
| 1942-43 | 15-7 | 7-1 (MSAC) | Floyd Millet | |
| 1941-42 | 17-3 | 9-3 (MSAC) | Floyd Millet | |
| 1940-41 | 14-9 | 6-6 (MSAC) | Edwin Kimball | |
| 1939-40 | 17-8 | 7-5 (MSAC) | Edwin Kimball | |
| 1938-39 | 12-12 | 4-8 (MSAC) | Edwin Kimball | |
| 1937-38 | 8-13 | 4-8 (MSAC) | Buck Dixon | |
| 1936-37 | 17-10 | 5-7 (MSAC) | Buck Dixon | |
| 1935-36 | 16-9 | 6-6 (MSAC) | Edwin Kimball | |
| 1934-35 | 18-10 | 6-6 (MSAC) | Ott Romney | |
| 1933-34 | 18-12 | 9-3 (MSAC) | Ott Romney | |
| 1932-33 | 20-7 | 9-3 (MSAC) | Ott Romney | |
| 1931-32 | 20-12 | 8-4 (MSAC) | Ott Romney | |
| 1930-31 | 20-13 | 7-5 (MSAC) | Ott Romney | |
| 1929-30 | 23-7 | 6-6 (MSAC) | Ott Romney | |
| 1928-29 | 20-10 | 6-6 (MSAC) | Ott Romney | |
| 1927-28 | 13-10 | 3-9 (MSAC) | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1926-27 | 5-14 | 1-11 (MSAC) | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1925-26 | 11-5 | 7-5 (MSAC) | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1924-25 | 10-6 | 5-3 (MSAC) | Alvin Twitchell | |
| 1923-24 | 14-4 | 7-1 (MSAC) | Alvin Twitchell | |
| 1922-23 | 7-5 | Ind | Alvin Twitchell | |
| 1921-22 | 9-3 | Ind | Alvin Twitchell | |
| 1920-21 | 10-2 | Ind | Alvin Twitchell | |
| 1919-20 | 4-2 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1918-19 | 5-3 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1917-18 | 5-3 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1916-17 | 14-2 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1915-16 | 3-3 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1914-15 | 6-2 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1913-14 | 8-2 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1912-13 | 7-3 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1911-12 | 7-0 | Ind | E.L. Roberts | |
| 1910-11 | 8-0 | Ind | Henry Rose | |
| 1909-10 | 9-2 | Ind | Fred Bennion | |
| 1908-09 | 7-4 | Ind | Fred Bennion | |
| 1907-08 | 4-2 | Ind | Clayton Teetzel | |
| 1906-07 | 7-3 | Ind | Clayton Teetzel | |
| 1905-06 | 11-1 | Ind | Clayton Teetzel | |
| 1904-05 | 9-3 | Ind | Unknown | |
| 1903-04 | 3-3 | Ind | Unknown | |
| 1902-03 | 4-5 | Ind | W.A. Colton |
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| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|