Kent State competes in the Mid-American Conference and had its greatest basketball moment in 2002 when the Golden Flashes reached the Elite Eight. The program has produced NBA players and consistently competes for MAC titles from its campus in northeast Ohio.
The Golden Flashes name was adopted in 1926, inspired by a sportswriter's description of the team's fast, flashy style of play combined with the school's blue and gold colors.
The 2002 NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight, where Kent State upset second-seeded Alabama and third-seeded Pittsburgh before falling to eventual national runner-up Indiana.
Antonio Gates, who became one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, played basketball at Kent State and never played college football.
The Kent State Golden Flashes compete in the MAC and hold an all-time record of 1335–1296 (.507 winning percentage) across 105 recorded seasons dating back to 1913-14.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 24-9 | 14-4 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2024-25 | 24-12 | 11-7 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2023-24 | 17-17 | 8-10 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2022-23 | 28-7 | 15-3 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2021-22 | 23-11 | 16-4 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2020-21 | 15-8 | 12-6 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2019-20 | 20-12 | 9-9 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2018-19 | 22-11 | 11-7 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2017-18 | 17-17 | 9-9 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2016-17 | 22-14 | 10-8 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2015-16 | 19-13 | 10-8 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2014-15 | 23-12 | 12-6 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2013-14 | 16-16 | 7-11 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2012-13 | 21-14 | 9-7 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2011-12 | 21-12 | 10-6 (MAC) | Rob Senderoff | |
| 2010-11 | 25-12 | 12-4 (MAC) | Geno Ford | |
| 2009-10 | 24-10 | 13-3 (MAC) | Geno Ford | |
| 2008-09 | 19-15 | 10-6 (MAC) | Geno Ford | |
| 2007-08 | 28-7 | 13-3 (MAC) | Jim Christian | AP #23 |
| 2006-07 | 21-11 | 12-4 (MAC) | Jim Christian | |
| 2005-06 | 25-9 | 15-3 (MAC) | Jim Christian | |
| 2004-05 | 20-13 | 11-7 (MAC) | Jim Christian | |
| 2003-04 | 22-9 | 13-5 (MAC) | Jim Christian | |
| 2002-03 | 21-10 | 12-6 (MAC) | Jim Christian | |
| 2001-02 | 30-6 | 17-1 (MAC) | Stan Heath | |
| 2000-01 | 24-10 | 13-5 (MAC) | Gary Waters | |
| 1999-00 | 23-8 | 13-5 (MAC) | Gary Waters | |
| 1998-99 | 23-7 | 13-5 (MAC) | Gary Waters | |
| 1997-98 | 13-17 | 9-9 (MAC) | Gary Waters | |
| 1996-97 | 9-18 | 7-11 (MAC) | Gary Waters | |
| 1995-96 | 14-13 | 8-10 (MAC) | Dave Grube | |
| 1994-95 | 8-19 | 5-13 (MAC) | Dave Grube | |
| 1993-94 | 13-14 | 8-10 (MAC) | Dave Grube | |
| 1992-93 | 10-17 | 7-11 (MAC) | Dave Grube | |
| 1991-92 | 9-19 | 6-10 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1990-91 | 10-18 | 4-12 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1989-90 | 21-8 | 12-4 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1987-88 | 10-18 | 6-10 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1986-87 | 19-10 | 11-5 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1985-86 | 11-16 | 7-11 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1984-85 | 17-13 | 11-7 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1983-84 | 15-14 | 8-10 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1982-83 | 15-13 | 9-9 (MAC) | Jim McDonald | |
| 1981-82 | 10-16 | 6-10 (MAC) | Ed Douma | |
| 1980-81 | 7-19 | 5-11 (MAC) | Ed Douma | |
| 1978-79 | 13-14 | 7-9 (MAC) | Ed Douma | |
| 1977-78 | 6-21 | 4-12 (MAC) | Mike Boyd,Rex Hughes | |
| 1976-77 | 8-19 | 4-12 (MAC) | Rex Hughes | |
| 1975-76 | 12-14 | 7-9 (MAC) | Rex Hughes | |
| 1974-75 | 6-20 | 3-11 (MAC) | Rex Hughes | |
| 1973-74 | 9-17 | 1-11 (MAC) | Frank Truitt | |
| 1972-73 | 10-16 | 5-7 (MAC) | Frank Truitt | |
| 1971-72 | 7-17 | 6-4 (MAC) | Frank Truitt | |
| 1970-71 | 13-11 | 4-6 (MAC) | Frank Truitt | |
| 1969-70 | 7-17 | 2-8 (MAC) | Frank Truitt | |
| 1968-69 | 14-10 | 6-6 (MAC) | Frank Truitt | |
| 1967-68 | 9-15 | 3-9 (MAC) | Frank Truitt | |
| 1966-67 | 5-18 | 1-11 (MAC) | Frank Truitt | |
| 1965-66 | 8-16 | 3-9 (MAC) | Bob Doll | |
| 1964-65 | 9-11 | 4-8 (MAC) | Bob Doll | |
| 1963-64 | 11-13 | 5-7 (MAC) | Bob Doll | |
| 1962-63 | 3-18 | 1-11 (MAC) | Bob Doll | |
| 1961-62 | 2-19 | 1-11 (MAC) | Bob Doll | |
| 1960-61 | 9-14 | 4-8 (MAC) | William Bertka | |
| 1959-60 | 7-16 | 2-10 (MAC) | William Bertka | |
| 1958-59 | 11-13 | 6-6 (MAC) | William Bertka | |
| 1957-58 | 9-14 | 3-9 (MAC) | William Bertka | |
| 1956-57 | 5-18 | 2-10 (MAC) | David McDowell | |
| 1955-56 | 10-11 | 5-7 (MAC) | David McDowell | |
| 1954-55 | 8-14 | 5-9 (MAC) | Bud Haerr | |
| 1953-54 | 8-13 | 3-9 (MAC) | Bud Haerr | |
| 1952-53 | 7-15 | 3-9 (MAC) | Bud Haerr | |
| 1951-52 | 14-10 | 3-7 (MAC) | Bud Haerr | |
| 1947-48 | 15-8 | Ind | Harry Adams | |
| 1946-47 | 13-11 | Ind | Harry Adams | |
| 1945-46 | 10-10 | Ind | William Satterlee | |
| 1944-45 | 3-11 | Ind | William Satterlee | |
| 1942-43 | 12-12 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1941-42 | 14-11 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1940-41 | 12-10 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1939-40 | 13-10 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1938-39 | 12-11 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1937-38 | 10-13 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1936-37 | 15-7 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1935-36 | 10-7 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1934-35 | 8-6 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1933-34 | 5-9 | Ind | Donald Starn | |
| 1932-33 | 4-11 | Ind | Merle Wagoner | |
| 1931-32 | 2-13 | Ind | Merle Wagoner | |
| 1930-31 | 8-9 | Ind | Merle Wagoner | |
| 1929-30 | 4-9 | Ind | Merle Wagoner | |
| 1928-29 | 11-7 | Ind | Merle Wagoner | |
| 1927-28 | 3-13 | Ind | Merle Wagoner | |
| 1926-27 | 5-11 | Ind | Merle Wagoner | |
| 1925-26 | 6-8 | Ind | Merle Wagoner | |
| 1924-25 | 4-8 | Ind | Frank Harsh | |
| 1923-24 | 4-9 | Ind | Frank Harsh | |
| 1922-23 | 4-6 | Ind | Paul Chandler | |
| 1921-22 | 2-6 | Ind | Paul Chandler | |
| 1920-21 | 4-7 | Ind | Paul Chandler | |
| 1919-20 | 2-4 | Ind | Paul Chandler | |
| 1916-17 | 2-6 | Ind | Donald Ulrich | |
| 1915-16 | 4-8 | Ind | Donald Ulrich | |
| 1914-15 | 3-2 | Ind | Alexander Whyte | |
| 1913-14 | 7-2 | Ind | Alexander Whyte |
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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 |
|---|