Drake's basketball program began in 1906 in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Bulldogs compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The program reached its peak in the late 1960s under coach Maury John, reaching the Final Four in 1969. Drake has remained a competitive MVC program.
The Bulldogs nickname was adopted in the early 1900s, representing the tenacious, never-give-up attitude the university wanted in its athletic teams.
Reaching the 1969 Final Four behind the play of Willie Wise and Willie McCarter, the greatest season in program history.
Drake served as the official host school when the NCAA Tournament brought first- and second-round games to Des Moines' Wells Fargo Arena in 2019, and Des Moines has become a regular host city for early-round tournament games.
The Drake Bulldogs compete in the MVC and hold an all-time record of 1414–1549 (.477 winning percentage) across 120 recorded seasons dating back to 1906-07. The program has reached 1 Final Four.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 14-20 | 6-14 (MVC) | Eric Henderson | |
| 2024-25 | 31-4 | 17-3 (MVC) | Ben McCollum | |
| 2023-24 | 28-7 | 16-4 (MVC) | Darian DeVries | |
| 2022-23 | 27-8 | 15-5 (MVC) | Darian DeVries | |
| 2021-22 | 25-11 | 13-5 (MVC) | Darian DeVries | |
| 2020-21 | 26-5 | 15-3 (MVC) | Darian DeVries | AP #25 |
| 2019-20 | 20-14 | 8-10 (MVC) | Darian DeVries | |
| 2018-19 | 24-10 | 12-6 (MVC) | Darian DeVries | |
| 2017-18 | 17-17 | 10-8 (MVC) | Niko Medved | |
| 2016-17 | 7-24 | 5-13 (MVC) | Jeff Rutter, Ray Giacoletti | |
| 2015-16 | 7-24 | 2-16 (MVC) | Ray Giacoletti | |
| 2014-15 | 9-22 | 6-12 (MVC) | Ray Giacoletti | |
| 2013-14 | 15-16 | 6-12 (MVC) | Ray Giacoletti | |
| 2012-13 | 15-17 | 7-11 (MVC) | Mark Phelps | |
| 2011-12 | 18-16 | 9-9 (MVC) | Mark Phelps | |
| 2010-11 | 13-18 | 7-11 (MVC) | Mark Phelps | |
| 2009-10 | 14-19 | 7-11 (MVC) | Mark Phelps | |
| 2008-09 | 17-16 | 7-11 (MVC) | Mark Phelps | |
| 2007-08 | 28-5 | 15-3 (MVC) | Keno Davis | AP #14 |
| 2006-07 | 17-15 | 6-12 (MVC) | Tom Davis | |
| 2005-06 | 12-19 | 5-13 (MVC) | Tom Davis | |
| 2004-05 | 13-16 | 7-11 (MVC) | Tom Davis | |
| 2003-04 | 12-16 | 7-11 (MVC) | Tom Davis | |
| 2002-03 | 10-20 | 5-13 (MVC) | Kurt Kanaskie | |
| 2001-02 | 14-15 | 9-9 (MVC) | Kurt Kanaskie | |
| 2000-01 | 12-16 | 8-10 (MVC) | Kurt Kanaskie | |
| 1999-00 | 11-18 | 4-14 (MVC) | Kurt Kanaskie | |
| 1998-99 | 10-17 | 5-13 (MVC) | Kurt Kanaskie | |
| 1997-98 | 3-24 | 0-18 (MVC) | Kurt Kanaskie | |
| 1996-97 | 2-26 | 0-18 (MVC) | Kurt Kanaskie | |
| 1995-96 | 12-15 | 8-10 (MVC) | Rudy Washington | |
| 1994-95 | 12-15 | 9-9 (MVC) | Rudy Washington | |
| 1993-94 | 11-16 | 6-12 (MVC) | Rudy Washington | |
| 1992-93 | 14-14 | 9-9 (MVC) | Rudy Washington | |
| 1991-92 | 6-21 | 3-15 (MVC) | Rudy Washington | |
| 1990-91 | 8-21 | 4-12 (MVC) | Rudy Washington | |
| 1989-90 | 13-18 | 5-9 (MVC) | Eddie Fields, Tom Abatemarco | |
| 1988-89 | 12-17 | 6-8 (MVC) | Tom Abatemarco | |
| 1987-88 | 14-14 | 5-9 (MVC) | Gary Garner | |
| 1986-87 | 17-14 | 6-8 (MVC) | Gary Garner | |
| 1985-86 | 19-11 | 10-6 (MVC) | Gary Garner | |
| 1984-85 | 12-15 | 4-12 (MVC) | Gary Garner | |
| 1983-84 | 8-20 | 4-12 (MVC) | Gary Garner | |
| 1982-83 | 13-15 | 9-9 (MVC) | Gary Garner | |
| 1981-82 | 12-15 | 7-9 (MVC) | Gary Garner | |
| 1980-81 | 18-11 | 10-6 (MVC) | Bob Ortegel | |
| 1979-80 | 15-12 | 6-10 (MVC) | Bob Ortegel | |
| 1978-79 | 15-12 | 8-8 (MVC) | Bob Ortegel | |
| 1977-78 | 6-22 | 2-14 (MVC) | Bob Ortegel | |
| 1976-77 | 10-17 | 5-7 (MVC) | Bob Ortegel | |
| 1975-76 | 8-19 | 3-9 (MVC) | Bob Ortegel | |
| 1974-75 | 19-10 | 9-5 (MVC) | Bob Ortegel | AP #14 |
| 1973-74 | 13-13 | 3-9 (MVC) | Howard Stacey | |
| 1972-73 | 14-12 | 5-9 (MVC) | Howard Stacey | |
| 1971-72 | 7-19 | 2-12 (MVC) | Howard Stacey | |
| 1970-71 | 21-8 | 9-5 (MVC) | Maury John | AP #7 |
| 1969-70 | 22-7 | 14-2 (MVC) | Maury John | AP #11 |
| 1968-69 | 26-5 | 13-3 (MVC) | Maury John | AP #11 |
| 1967-68 | 18-8 | 9-7 (MVC) | Maury John | |
| 1966-67 | 9-16 | 4-10 (MVC) | Maury John | |
| 1965-66 | 13-12 | 6-8 (MVC) | Maury John | |
| 1964-65 | 15-10 | 6-8 (MVC) | Maury John | |
| 1963-64 | 21-7 | 10-2 (MVC) | Maury John | AP #10 |
| 1962-63 | 11-14 | 3-9 (MVC) | Maury John | |
| 1961-62 | 16-8 | 6-6 (MVC) | Maury John | |
| 1960-61 | 19-7 | 7-5 (MVC) | Maury John | AP #14 |
| 1959-60 | 11-14 | 4-10 (MVC) | Maury John | |
| 1958-59 | 9-15 | 4-10 (MVC) | Maury John | |
| 1957-58 | 13-12 | 4-10 (MVC) | John Benington | |
| 1956-57 | 8-16 | 4-10 (MVC) | John Benington | |
| 1955-56 | 10-14 | Ind | Jack McClelland | |
| 1954-55 | 9-12 | Ind | Jack McClelland | |
| 1953-54 | 7-16 | Ind | Jack McClelland | |
| 1952-53 | 13-12 | Ind | Jack McClelland | |
| 1951-52 | 13-12 | Ind | Jack McClelland | |
| 1950-51 | 11-14 | 4-10 (MVC) | Jack McClelland | |
| 1949-50 | 14-12 | 5-7 (MVC) | Jack McClelland | |
| 1948-49 | 13-13 | 4-6 (MVC) | Jack McClelland | |
| 1947-48 | 14-12 | 5-5 (MVC) | Forddy Anderson | |
| 1946-47 | 18-11 | 8-4 (MVC) | Forddy Anderson | |
| 1945-46 | 11-15 | 5-7 (MVC) | Vee Green | |
| 1944-45 | 11-13 | MVC | Vee Green | |
| 1943-44 | 7-13 | MVC | Bill Easton | |
| 1942-43 | 8-9 | 3-7 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1941-42 | 2-13 | 1-9 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1940-41 | 9-11 | 6-6 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1939-40 | 13-12 | 7-5 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1938-39 | 14-7 | 11-3 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1937-38 | 14-6 | 10-4 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1936-37 | 13-10 | 7-5 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1935-36 | 16-12 | 8-4 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1934-35 | 14-11 | 8-4 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1933-34 | 6-12 | 4-6 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1932-33 | 4-12 | 2-8 (MVC) | Bill Williams | |
| 1931-32 | 2-17 | 2-6 (MVC) | Bill Boelter | |
| 1930-31 | 4-15 | 2-6 (MVC) | Bill Boelter | |
| 1929-30 | 10-9 | 4-4 (MVC) | Bill Boelter | |
| 1928-29 | 6-13 | 3-4 (MVC) | Bill Boelter | |
| 1927-28 | 7-13 | 7-11 (MVC) | Bill Boelter | |
| 1926-27 | 8-10 | 6-6 (MVC) | Bill Boelter | |
| 1925-26 | 9-9 | 7-9 (MVC) | Bill Boelter | |
| 1924-25 | 4-12 | 4-12 (MVC) | Ossie Solem | |
| 1923-24 | 9-9 | 8-8 (MVC) | Ossie Solem | |
| 1922-23 | 10-6 | 10-6 (MVC) | Ossie Solem | |
| 1921-22 | 14-4 | 12-4 (MVC) | Ossie Solem | |
| 1920-21 | 10-8 | 5-8 (MVC) | Mark Banks | |
| 1919-20 | 12-11 | 3-7 (MVC) | Mark Banks | |
| 1918-19 | 10-18 | 2-9 (MVC) | Mark Banks | |
| 1917-18 | 2-17 | 0-10 (MVC) | S.W. Hobbs | |
| 1916-17 | 5-7 | 0-4 (MVC) | Ralph Glaze | |
| 1915-16 | 3-9 | 1-5 (MVC) | Ray Whisman | |
| 1914-15 | 5-6 | 1-5 (MVC) | Ray Whisman | |
| 1913-14 | 1-9 | 0-5 (MVC) | John Griffin | |
| 1912-13 | 1-5 | 0-6 (MVC) | John Griffin | |
| 1911-12 | 1-8 | 0-8 (MVC) | A.R. Hackett | |
| 1910-11 | 0-6 | 0-2 (MVC) | A.R. Hackett | |
| 1909-10 | 0-10 | 0-8 (MVC) | John Griffin | |
| 1908-09 | 3-7 | 3-5 (MVC) | Charles Pell | |
| 1907-08 | 1-4 | 0-1 (MVC) | Charles Pell | |
| 1906-07 | 2-1 | Ind | Charles Pell |
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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 |
|---|