East Tennessee State's basketball program began in 1919 in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Buccaneers compete in the Southern Conference and have won multiple conference championships. The program enjoyed great success in the late 1980s and early 1990s under coach Les Robinson and Alan LeForce.
The Buccaneers nickname was adopted in the 1930s, referencing the pirates and adventurers of Tennessee's frontier history and the Appalachian region's independent spirit.
The 1992 NCAA Tournament first-round upset of Arizona under coach Alan LeForce, one of the program's most thrilling victories on the national stage.
ETSU's Freedom Hall is located in the Appalachian Highlands and Johnson City's elevation of over 1,600 feet gives visiting teams a subtle altitude adjustment challenge.
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers compete in the Southern and hold an all-time record of 1078–888 (.548 winning percentage) across 69 recorded seasons dating back to 1957-58.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 23-11 | 13-5 (Southern) | Brooks Savage | |
| 2024-25 | 19-13 | 12-6 (Southern) | Brooks Savage | |
| 2023-24 | 19-16 | 8-10 (Southern) | Brooks Savage | |
| 2022-23 | 12-20 | 8-10 (Southern) | Desmond Oliver | |
| 2021-22 | 15-17 | 7-11 (Southern) | Desmond Oliver | |
| 2020-21 | 13-12 | 8-7 (Southern) | Jason Shay | |
| 2019-20 | 30-4 | 16-2 (Southern) | Steve Forbes | |
| 2018-19 | 24-10 | 13-5 (Southern) | Steve Forbes | |
| 2017-18 | 25-9 | 14-4 (Southern) | Steve Forbes | |
| 2016-17 | 27-8 | 14-4 (Southern) | Steve Forbes | |
| 2015-16 | 24-12 | 14-4 (Southern) | Steve Forbes | |
| 2014-15 | 16-14 | 8-10 (Southern) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2013-14 | 19-16 | 10-8 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2012-13 | 10-22 | 8-10 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2011-12 | 17-14 | 10-8 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2010-11 | 24-12 | 16-4 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2009-10 | 20-15 | 13-7 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2008-09 | 23-11 | 14-6 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2007-08 | 19-13 | 11-5 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2006-07 | 24-10 | 16-2 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2005-06 | 15-13 | 12-8 (A-Sun) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2004-05 | 10-19 | 4-12 (Southern) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2003-04 | 27-6 | 15-1 (Southern) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2002-03 | 20-11 | 11-5 (Southern) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2001-02 | 18-10 | 11-5 (Southern) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2000-01 | 18-10 | 13-3 (Southern) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 1999-00 | 14-15 | 8-8 (Southern) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 1998-99 | 17-11 | 9-7 (Southern) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 1997-98 | 11-16 | 6-9 (Southern) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 1996-97 | 7-20 | 2-12 (Southern) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 1995-96 | 7-20 | 3-11 (Southern) | Alan LeForce | |
| 1994-95 | 14-14 | 9-5 (Southern) | Alan LeForce | |
| 1993-94 | 16-14 | 13-5 (Southern) | Alan LeForce | |
| 1992-93 | 19-10 | 12-6 (Southern) | Alan LeForce | |
| 1991-92 | 24-7 | 12-2 (Southern) | Alan LeForce | |
| 1990-91 | 28-5 | 11-3 (Southern) | Alan LeForce | AP #10 |
| 1989-90 | 27-7 | 12-2 (Southern) | Les Robinson | |
| 1988-89 | 20-11 | 7-7 (Southern) | Les Robinson | |
| 1987-88 | 14-15 | 9-7 (Southern) | Les Robinson | |
| 1986-87 | 7-21 | 3-13 (Southern) | Les Robinson | |
| 1985-86 | 13-16 | 8-8 (Southern) | Les Robinson | |
| 1984-85 | 9-18 | 3-13 (Southern) | Barry Dowd | |
| 1983-84 | 9-19 | 6-10 (Southern) | Barry Dowd | |
| 1982-83 | 22-9 | 12-4 (Southern) | Barry Dowd | |
| 1981-82 | 13-15 | 8-8 (Southern) | Jim Hallahan | |
| 1980-81 | 13-14 | 9-7 (Southern) | Jim Hallahan | |
| 1979-80 | 15-13 | 8-6 (Southern) | Jim Hallahan | |
| 1978-79 | 16-11 | 0-0 (Southern) | Jim Hallahan | |
| 1977-78 | 18-9 | 10-4 (OVC) | Sonny Smith | |
| 1976-77 | 12-14 | 6-8 (OVC) | Sonny Smith | |
| 1975-76 | 6-20 | 4-10 (OVC) | Leroy Fisher | |
| 1974-75 | 9-14 | 5-9 (OVC) | Leroy Fisher | |
| 1973-74 | 8-18 | 3-11 (OVC) | Leroy Fisher | |
| 1972-73 | 9-17 | 2-12 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1971-72 | 11-14 | 6-8 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1970-71 | 12-12 | 8-6 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1969-70 | 15-11 | 8-6 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1968-69 | 15-11 | 6-8 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1967-68 | 19-8 | 10-4 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1966-67 | 17-9 | 8-6 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1965-66 | 7-14 | 3-11 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1964-65 | 6-17 | 4-10 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1963-64 | 12-10 | 8-6 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1962-63 | 14-8 | 7-5 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1961-62 | 11-14 | 3-9 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1960-61 | 9-15 | 1-11 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1959-60 | 9-14 | 2-10 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1958-59 | 13-10 | 5-7 (OVC) | Madison Brooks | |
| 1957-58 | 7-18 | OVC | Madison Brooks |
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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 |
|---|