Holy Cross' basketball program dates to 1900 at the Jesuit college in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Crusaders won the 1947 NCAA Championship with Bob Cousy on the roster and were a powerhouse in the 1940s-50s. The program competes in the Patriot League.
The Crusaders nickname references the medieval Christian crusades, fitting for a Jesuit college — though the school has had ongoing discussions about the name in modern times.
Winning the 1947 NCAA Championship, led by George Kaftan and featuring freshman Bob Cousy, establishing Holy Cross as one of the original basketball powers.
Bob Cousy, who revolutionized basketball as a Boston Celtic with his flashy passing and became known as 'The Houdini of the Hardwood,' played at Holy Cross and helped win the 1947 title as a freshman.
The Holy Cross Crusaders compete in the Patriot League and hold an all-time record of 1473–1142 (.563 winning percentage) across 105 recorded seasons dating back to 1900-01. The program has won 1 NCAA national championship (1947) and reached 1 Final Four.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 11-22 | 5-13 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2024-25 | 13-19 | 5-13 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2023-24 | 10-23 | 6-12 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2022-23 | 10-22 | 7-11 (Patriot) | Brett Nelson | |
| 2021-22 | 9-22 | 7-11 (Patriot) | Brett Nelson | |
| 2020-21 | 5-11 | 5-11 (Patriot) | Brett Nelson | |
| 2019-20 | 3-29 | 2-16 (Patriot) | Brett Nelson | |
| 2018-19 | 16-17 | 6-12 (Patriot) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2017-18 | 12-19 | 8-10 (Patriot) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2016-17 | 15-17 | 9-9 (Patriot) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2015-16 | 15-20 | 5-13 (Patriot) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2014-15 | 14-16 | 8-10 (Patriot) | Milan Brown | |
| 2013-14 | 20-14 | 12-6 (Patriot) | Milan Brown | |
| 2012-13 | 12-18 | 4-10 (Patriot) | Milan Brown | |
| 2011-12 | 15-14 | 9-5 (Patriot) | Milan Brown | |
| 2010-11 | 8-21 | 7-7 (Patriot) | Milan Brown | |
| 2009-10 | 9-22 | 5-9 (Patriot) | Sean Kearney | |
| 2008-09 | 18-14 | 11-3 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 2007-08 | 15-14 | 5-9 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 2006-07 | 25-9 | 13-1 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 2005-06 | 20-12 | 11-3 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 2004-05 | 25-7 | 13-1 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 2003-04 | 13-15 | 7-7 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 2002-03 | 26-5 | 13-1 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 2001-02 | 18-15 | 9-5 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 2000-01 | 22-8 | 10-2 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 1999-00 | 10-18 | 3-9 (Patriot) | Ralph Willard | |
| 1998-99 | 7-20 | 3-9 (Patriot) | William Raynor | |
| 1997-98 | 7-20 | 3-9 (Patriot) | William Raynor | |
| 1996-97 | 8-19 | 5-7 (Patriot) | William Raynor | |
| 1994-95 | 15-12 | 9-5 (Patriot) | William Raynor | |
| 1993-94 | 14-14 | 9-5 (Patriot) | George Blaney | |
| 1992-93 | 23-7 | 12-2 (Patriot) | George Blaney | |
| 1991-92 | 18-11 | 10-4 (Patriot) | George Blaney | |
| 1990-91 | 18-12 | 8-4 (Patriot) | George Blaney | |
| 1989-90 | 24-6 | 14-2 (MAAC) | George Blaney | |
| 1988-89 | 13-15 | 5-9 (MAAC) | George Blaney | |
| 1987-88 | 14-15 | 8-6 (MAAC) | George Blaney | |
| 1986-87 | 9-19 | 6-8 (MAAC) | George Blaney | |
| 1985-86 | 12-18 | 6-8 (MAAC) | George Blaney | |
| 1984-85 | 9-19 | 8-6 (MAAC) | George Blaney | |
| 1983-84 | 12-18 | 5-9 (MAAC) | George Blaney | |
| 1982-83 | 17-13 | 5-3 (ECACN) | George Blaney | |
| 1981-82 | 16-11 | 4-4 (ECACN) | George Blaney | |
| 1980-81 | 20-10 | 18-8 (ECACN) | George Blaney | |
| 1979-80 | 19-11 | 16-10 (ECACN) | George Blaney | |
| 1978-79 | 17-11 | Ind | George Blaney | |
| 1977-78 | 20-7 | Ind | George Blaney | AP #12 |
| 1976-77 | 23-6 | Ind | George Blaney | |
| 1975-76 | 22-10 | Ind | George Blaney | |
| 1974-75 | 20-8 | Ind | George Blaney | |
| 1973-74 | 8-18 | Ind | George Blaney | |
| 1972-73 | 9-17 | Ind | George Blaney | |
| 1971-72 | 15-11 | Ind | Jack Donohue | |
| 1970-71 | 18-8 | Ind | Jack Donohue | |
| 1969-70 | 16-9 | Ind | Jack Donohue | |
| 1968-69 | 16-8 | Ind | Jack Donohue | |
| 1967-68 | 15-8 | Ind | Jack Donohue | |
| 1966-67 | 16-9 | Ind | Jack Donohue | |
| 1965-66 | 10-13 | Ind | Jack Donohue | |
| 1964-65 | 13-10 | Ind | Frank Oftring | |
| 1963-64 | 15-8 | Ind | Frank Oftring | |
| 1962-63 | 16-9 | Ind | Frank Oftring | |
| 1961-62 | 20-6 | Ind | Frank Oftring | |
| 1960-61 | 21-5 | Ind | Roy Leenig | |
| 1959-60 | 20-6 | Ind | Roy Leenig | AP #13 |
| 1958-59 | 14-11 | Ind | Roy Leenig | |
| 1957-58 | 16-9 | Ind | Roy Leenig | |
| 1956-57 | 11-12 | Ind | Roy Leenig | |
| 1955-56 | 22-5 | Ind | Roy Leenig | AP #7 |
| 1954-55 | 19-7 | Ind | Buster Sheary | AP #5 |
| 1953-54 | 26-2 | Ind | Buster Sheary | AP #3 |
| 1952-53 | 20-6 | Ind | Buster Sheary | AP #4 |
| 1951-52 | 24-4 | Ind | Buster Sheary | AP #11 |
| 1950-51 | 20-5 | Ind | Buster Sheary | |
| 1949-50 | 27-4 | Ind | Buster Sheary | AP #1 |
| 1948-49 | 19-8 | Ind | Buster Sheary | AP #14 |
| 1947-48 | 26-4 | Ind | Doggie Julian | |
| 1946-47 | 27-3 | Ind | Doggie Julian | |
| 1945-46 | 12-3 | Ind | Doggie Julian | |
| 1944-45 | 4-9 | Ind | Hop Riopel | |
| 1943-44 | 6-8 | Ind | Hop Riopel | |
| 1942-43 | 1-5 | Ind | Hop Riopel | |
| 1941-42 | 5-4 | Ind | Moose Krause | |
| 1940-41 | 4-7 | Ind | Moose Krause | |
| 1939-40 | 2-3 | Ind | Moose Krause | |
| 1930-31 | 10-6 | Ind | John Reed | |
| 1929-30 | 12-7 | Ind | John Reed | |
| 1928-29 | 10-7 | Ind | John Reed | |
| 1927-28 | 13-6 | Ind | John Reed | |
| 1926-27 | 7-6 | Ind | John Reed | |
| 1925-26 | 8-9 | Ind | John Reed | |
| 1924-25 | 10-5 | Ind | Ken Simendinger | |
| 1923-24 | 5-9 | Ind | William Casey | |
| 1922-23 | 7-13 | Ind | William Casey | |
| 1921-22 | 14-3 | Ind | William Casey | |
| 1920-21 | 2-0 | Ind | William Casey | |
| 1908-09 | 4-8 | Ind | Fred Powers | |
| 1907-08 | 12-6 | Ind | Fred Powers | |
| 1905-06 | 12-3 | Ind | Fred Powers | |
| 1904-05 | 6-4 | Ind | Fred Powers | |
| 1903-04 | 10-2 | Ind | Fred Powers | |
| 1902-03 | 6-5 | Ind | Fred Powers | |
| 1901-02 | 4-5 | Ind | Fred Powers | |
| 1900-01 | 6-6 | Ind |
American University Eagles · Army Black Knights · Boston University Terriers · Bucknell Bison · Colgate Raiders · Lafayette Leopards · Lehigh Mountain Hawks · Loyola Maryland Greyhounds · Navy Midshipmen
All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home
| 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 |
|---|