Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball — program history

Gonzaga University, a small Jesuit school in Spokane, Washington founded in 1887, began playing basketball in 1907. Once known as the 'Fighting Irish' in the 1910s, the school switched to 'Bulldogs' in 1921. Gonzaga's magical 1999 NCAA Tournament run as a No. 10 seed — highlighted by CBS announcer Gus Johnson's famous 'The slipper still fits!' call — transformed the program from unknown to household name. Under Mark Few, who took over in 1999, Gonzaga has become one of the most consistent programs in the nation, including a 31-0 start to the 2020-21 season before falling to Baylor in the national championship game.

The name

The school switched from 'Fighting Irish' to 'Bulldogs' in 1921; a live bulldog mascot named Salty once bit a referee during a 1967 game, making Sports Illustrated

Signature moment

The 1999 Cinderella run to the Elite Eight as a No. 10 seed, cementing Gonzaga as a national brand with CBS's Gus Johnson calling 'The slipper still fits!'

Gonzaga opened McCarthey Athletic Center in 2004 riding a 38-game home winning streak, and later won 75 straight there from 2018 to 2023 — more than five years without a home loss

The Gonzaga Bulldogs compete in the WCC and hold an all-time record of 1509–735 (.672 winning percentage) across 75 recorded seasons dating back to 1943-44. The program has reached 2 Final Fours.

Season-by-season results

SeasonRecordConferenceCoachAP peak
2025-2630-316-2 (WCC)Mark FewAP #6
2024-2526-914-4 (WCC)Mark FewAP #3
2023-2427-814-2 (WCC)Mark FewAP #7
2022-2331-614-2 (WCC)Mark FewAP #2
2021-2228-413-1 (WCC)Mark FewAP #1
2020-2131-115-0 (WCC)Mark FewAP #1
2019-2031-215-1 (WCC)Mark FewAP #1
2018-1933-416-0 (WCC)Mark FewAP #1
2017-1832-517-1 (WCC)Mark FewAP #6
2016-1737-217-1 (WCC)Mark FewAP #1
2015-1628-815-3 (WCC)Mark FewAP #9
2014-1535-317-1 (WCC)Mark FewAP #2
2013-1429-715-3 (WCC)Mark FewAP #11
2012-1332-316-0 (WCC)Mark FewAP #1
2011-1226-713-3 (WCC)Mark FewAP #19
2010-1125-1011-3 (WCC)Mark FewAP #11
2009-1027-712-2 (WCC)Mark FewAP #13
2008-0928-614-0 (WCC)Mark FewAP #4
2007-0825-813-1 (WCC)Mark FewAP #14
2006-0723-1111-3 (WCC)Mark FewAP #16
2005-0629-414-0 (WCC)Mark FewAP #4
2004-0526-512-2 (WCC)Mark FewAP #10
2003-0428-314-0 (WCC)Mark FewAP #3
2002-0324-912-2 (WCC)Mark FewAP #20
2001-0229-413-1 (WCC)Mark FewAP #6
2000-0126-713-1 (WCC)Mark Few
1999-0026-911-3 (WCC)Mark FewAP #22
1998-9928-712-2 (WCC)Dan Monson
1997-9824-1010-4 (WCC)Dan Monson
1996-9715-128-6 (WCC)Dan Fitzgerald
1995-9621-910-4 (WCC)Dan Fitzgerald
1994-9521-97-7 (WCC)Dan Fitzgerald
1993-9422-812-2 (WCC)Dan Fitzgerald
1992-9319-910-4 (WCC)Dan Fitzgerald
1991-9220-108-6 (WCC)Dan Fitzgerald
1990-9114-145-9 (WCC)Dan Fitzgerald
1989-908-203-11 (WCC)Dan Fitzgerald
1988-8914-145-9 (WCAC)Dan Fitzgerald
1987-8816-127-7 (WCAC)Dan Fitzgerald
1986-8718-109-5 (WCAC)Dan Fitzgerald
1985-8615-138-6 (WCAC)Dan Fitzgerald
1984-8515-134-8 (WCAC)Jay Hillock
1983-8417-116-6 (WCAC)Jay Hillock
1982-8313-145-7 (WCAC)Jay Hillock
1981-8215-127-7 (WCAC)Jay Hillock
1980-8119-89-5 (WCAC)Dan Fitzgerald
1979-8014-138-8 (WCAC)Dan Fitzgerald
1978-7916-107-7 (Big Sky)Dan Fitzgerald
1977-7814-157-7 (Big Sky)Adrian Buoncristiani
1976-7711-167-7 (Big Sky)Adrian Buoncristiani
1975-7613-135-9 (Big Sky)Adrian Buoncristiani
1974-7513-137-7 (Big Sky)Adrian Buoncristiani
1973-7413-137-7 (Big Sky)Adrian Buoncristiani
1972-7314-126-8 (Big Sky)Adrian Buoncristiani
1971-7214-128-6 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1970-7113-136-8 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1969-7010-167-8 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1968-6911-156-9 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1967-689-176-9 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1966-6721-67-3 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1965-6619-78-2 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1964-6518-86-4 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1963-6410-155-5 (Big Sky)Hank Anderson
1962-6314-12IndHank Anderson
1961-6214-12IndHank Anderson
1960-6111-15IndHank Anderson
1959-6014-12IndHank Anderson
1958-5911-15IndHank Anderson
1957-5816-10IndHank Anderson
1956-5711-16IndHank Anderson
1955-5613-15IndHank Anderson
1954-5515-11IndHank Anderson
1953-5412-15IndHank Anderson
1952-5315-14IndHank Anderson
1943-4422-4IndCharles Henry

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