Cal's basketball program dates to 1907 at the flagship University of California in Berkeley. The Golden Bears won the NCAA Championship in 1959 under coach Pete Newell and have competed in the Pac-10/Pac-12/ACC. The program produced NBA stars like Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
The Golden Bears nickname was adopted in 1895, inspired by the California grizzly bear featured on the state flag, which was once native to the region before going extinct in the 1920s.
Winning the 1959 NCAA Championship under Pete Newell, defeating West Virginia 71-70 in a game considered one of the finest displays of defensive basketball.
Haas Pavilion sits at the base of the Berkeley Hills with a view of the San Francisco Bay, and the program's 1959 title team was the last Pac-8/10/12 school to win a championship until UCLA in 1964.
The California Golden Bears compete in the ACC and hold an all-time record of 1708–1318 (.564 winning percentage) across 114 recorded seasons dating back to 1907-08. The program has won 1 NCAA national championship (1959) and reached 2 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 21-11 | 9-9 (ACC) | Mark Madsen | |
| 2024-25 | 14-19 | 6-14 (ACC) | Mark Madsen | |
| 2023-24 | 13-19 | 9-11 (Pac-12) | Mark Madsen | |
| 2022-23 | 3-29 | 2-18 (Pac-12) | Mark Fox | |
| 2021-22 | 12-20 | 5-15 (Pac-12) | Mark Fox | |
| 2020-21 | 9-20 | 3-17 (Pac-12) | Mark Fox | |
| 2019-20 | 14-18 | 7-11 (Pac-12) | Mark Fox | |
| 2018-19 | 8-23 | 3-15 (Pac-12) | Wyking Jones | |
| 2017-18 | 8-24 | 2-16 (Pac-12) | Wyking Jones | |
| 2016-17 | 21-13 | 10-8 (Pac-12) | Cuonzo Martin | AP #25 |
| 2015-16 | 23-11 | 12-6 (Pac-12) | Cuonzo Martin | AP #14 |
| 2014-15 | 18-15 | 7-11 (Pac-12) | Cuonzo Martin | |
| 2013-14 | 21-14 | 10-8 (Pac-12) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 2012-13 | 21-12 | 12-6 (Pac-12) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 2011-12 | 24-10 | 13-5 (Pac-12) | Mike Montgomery | AP #20 |
| 2010-11 | 18-15 | 10-8 (Pac-10) | Mike Montgomery | |
| 2009-10 | 24-11 | 13-5 (Pac-10) | Mike Montgomery | AP #13 |
| 2008-09 | 22-11 | 11-7 (Pac-10) | Mike Montgomery | AP #22 |
| 2007-08 | 17-16 | 6-12 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | |
| 2006-07 | 16-17 | 6-12 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | |
| 2005-06 | 20-11 | 12-6 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | |
| 2004-05 | 13-16 | 6-12 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | |
| 2003-04 | 13-15 | 9-9 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | |
| 2002-03 | 22-9 | 13-5 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | AP #18 |
| 2001-02 | 23-9 | 12-6 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | AP #21 |
| 2000-01 | 20-11 | 11-7 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | |
| 1999-00 | 18-15 | 7-11 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | |
| 1998-99 | 22-11 | 8-10 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | AP #25 |
| 1997-98 | 12-15 | 8-10 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | |
| 1996-97 | 23-9 | 12-6 (Pac-10) | Ben Braun | AP #25 |
| 1993-94 | 22-8 | 13-5 (Pac-10) | Todd Bozeman | AP #6 |
| 1992-93 | 21-9 | 12-6 (Pac-10) | Lou Campanelli,Todd Bozeman | AP #19 |
| 1991-92 | 10-18 | 4-14 (Pac-10) | Lou Campanelli | |
| 1990-91 | 13-15 | 8-10 (Pac-10) | Lou Campanelli | |
| 1989-90 | 22-10 | 12-6 (Pac-10) | Lou Campanelli | |
| 1988-89 | 20-13 | 10-8 (Pac-10) | Lou Campanelli | |
| 1987-88 | 9-20 | 5-13 (Pac-10) | Lou Campanelli | |
| 1986-87 | 20-15 | 10-8 (Pac-10) | Lou Campanelli | |
| 1985-86 | 19-10 | 11-7 (Pac-10) | Lou Campanelli | |
| 1984-85 | 13-15 | 5-13 (Pac-10) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1983-84 | 12-16 | 5-13 (Pac-10) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1982-83 | 14-14 | 7-11 (Pac-10) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1981-82 | 14-13 | 8-10 (Pac-10) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1980-81 | 13-14 | 5-13 (Pac-10) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1979-80 | 8-19 | 3-15 (Pac-10) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1978-79 | 6-21 | 4-14 (Pac-10) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1977-78 | 11-16 | 4-10 (Pac-8) | Dick Edwards | |
| 1976-77 | 12-15 | 7-7 (Pac-8) | Dick Edwards | |
| 1974-75 | 17-9 | 7-7 (Pac-8) | Dick Edwards | |
| 1973-74 | 9-17 | 3-11 (Pac-8) | Dick Edwards | |
| 1972-73 | 11-15 | 4-10 (Pac-8) | Dick Edwards | |
| 1971-72 | 13-16 | 6-8 (Pac-8) | Jim Padgett | |
| 1970-71 | 16-9 | 8-6 (Pac-8) | Jim Padgett | |
| 1969-70 | 11-15 | 5-9 (Pac-8) | Jim Padgett | |
| 1968-69 | 12-13 | 4-10 (Pac-8) | Jim Padgett | AP #15 |
| 1967-68 | 16-9 | 7-7 (AAWU) | Rene Herrerias | |
| 1966-67 | 17-10 | 6-8 (AAWU) | Rene Herrerias | |
| 1965-66 | 9-16 | 4-10 (AAWU) | Rene Herrerias | |
| 1964-65 | 8-15 | 4-10 (AAWU) | Rene Herrerias | |
| 1963-64 | 13-14 | 8-7 (AAWU) | Rene Herrerias | |
| 1962-63 | 13-11 | 4-8 (AAWU) | Rene Herrerias | |
| 1961-62 | 8-17 | 2-10 (AAWU) | Rene Herrerias | |
| 1960-61 | 13-9 | 5-7 (AAWU) | Rene Herrerias | |
| 1959-60 | 28-2 | 11-1 (AAWU) | Pete Newell | AP #2 |
| 1958-59 | 25-4 | 14-2 (PCC) | Pete Newell | AP #11 |
| 1957-58 | 19-9 | 12-4 (PCC) | Pete Newell | AP #19 |
| 1956-57 | 21-5 | 14-2 (PCC) | Pete Newell | AP #12 |
| 1955-56 | 17-8 | 10-6 (PCC) | Pete Newell | |
| 1954-55 | 9-16 | 1-11 (PCC) | Pete Newell | |
| 1953-54 | 17-7 | 6-6 (PCC) | Nibs Price | AP #14 |
| 1952-53 | 15-10 | 9-3 (PCC) | Nibs Price | AP #14 |
| 1951-52 | 17-13 | 6-6 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1950-51 | 16-16 | 3-9 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1949-50 | 10-17 | 4-8 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1948-49 | 14-19 | 1-11 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1947-48 | 25-9 | 11-1 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1946-47 | 20-11 | 8-4 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1945-46 | 30-6 | 11-1 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1944-45 | 7-8 | 1-3 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1943-44 | 7-3 | 4-0 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1942-43 | 9-15 | 1-7 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1941-42 | 11-19 | 4-8 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1940-41 | 15-12 | 6-6 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1939-40 | 15-17 | 5-7 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1938-39 | 24-8 | 9-3 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1937-38 | 18-11 | 8-4 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1936-37 | 17-10 | 4-8 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1935-36 | 13-16 | 6-6 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1934-35 | 11-14 | 5-7 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1933-34 | 19-7 | 8-4 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1932-33 | 18-7 | 8-3 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1931-32 | 16-8 | 8-3 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1930-31 | 12-10 | 6-3 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1929-30 | 9-8 | 6-3 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1928-29 | 17-3 | 9-0 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1927-28 | 9-6 | 6-3 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1926-27 | 17-0 | 5-0 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1925-26 | 14-0 | 5-0 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1924-25 | 11-4 | 3-1 (PCC) | Nibs Price | |
| 1923-24 | 14-4 | 5-3 (PCC) | Earl Wright | |
| 1922-23 | 12-6 | 5-3 (PCC) | Earl Wright | |
| 1921-22 | 19-6 | 10-4 (PCC) | Earl Wright | |
| 1920-21 | 19-4 | 8-3 (PCC) | Earl Wright | |
| 1919-20 | 8-5 | 5-5 (PCC) | William Hollender | |
| 1918-19 | 6-3 | 2-2 (PCC) | William Hollender | |
| 1917-18 | 8-2 | Ind | Walter Christie | |
| 1916-17 | 15-1 | 5-1 (PCC) | Ben Cherrington | |
| 1915-16 | 11-5 | 5-3 (PCC) | (unknown) Kilduff | |
| 1914-15 | 6-0 | Ind | ||
| 1913-14 | 2-0 | Ind | ||
| 1912-13 | 2-0 | Ind | ||
| 1911-12 | 2-0 | Ind | ||
| 1908-09 | 10-0 | Ind | ||
| 1907-08 | 1-0 | Ind |
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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 |
|---|