La Salle University in Philadelphia has a rich basketball tradition, winning the 1954 NCAA Championship behind consensus All-American Tom Gola. The Explorers were a dominant force in the 1950s and remain one of the historic programs in Big Five Philadelphia basketball, competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Explorers name dates to 1931, when a Philadelphia sportswriter mistakenly assumed the school was named for French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle — it actually honors St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the French priest and educator — and students voted to make the nickname official in 1932.
Winning the 1954 NCAA Championship behind Tom Gola, who had 19 points and 19 rebounds in the title game against Bradley, completing one of the great individual tournament performances.
Tom Gola holds the NCAA career rebounding record with 2,201 rebounds, a mark that will almost certainly never be broken in the modern era.
The La Salle Explorers compete in the A-10 and hold an all-time record of 1462–1120 (.566 winning percentage) across 121 recorded seasons dating back to 1905-06. The program has won 1 NCAA national championship (1954) and reached 3 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 29-5 | 15-3 (ACC) | Ryan Odom | AP #10 |
| 2024-25 | 15-17 | 8-12 (ACC) | Ron Sanchez | |
| 2023-24 | 23-11 | 13-7 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #21 |
| 2022-23 | 25-8 | 15-5 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #2 |
| 2021-22 | 21-14 | 12-8 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #25 |
| 2020-21 | 18-7 | 13-4 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #4 |
| 2019-20 | 23-7 | 15-5 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #5 |
| 2018-19 | 35-3 | 16-2 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #2 |
| 2017-18 | 31-3 | 17-1 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #1 |
| 2016-17 | 23-11 | 11-7 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #6 |
| 2015-16 | 29-8 | 13-5 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #3 |
| 2014-15 | 30-4 | 16-2 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #2 |
| 2013-14 | 30-7 | 16-2 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #3 |
| 2012-13 | 23-12 | 11-7 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | |
| 2011-12 | 22-10 | 9-7 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #15 |
| 2010-11 | 16-15 | 7-9 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | |
| 2009-10 | 15-16 | 5-11 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | |
| 2008-09 | 10-18 | 4-12 (ACC) | Dave Leitao | |
| 2007-08 | 17-16 | 5-11 (ACC) | Dave Leitao | AP #23 |
| 2006-07 | 21-11 | 11-5 (ACC) | Dave Leitao | AP #24 |
| 2005-06 | 15-15 | 7-9 (ACC) | Dave Leitao | |
| 2004-05 | 14-15 | 4-12 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | AP #19 |
| 2003-04 | 18-13 | 6-10 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | |
| 2002-03 | 16-16 | 6-10 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | AP #22 |
| 2001-02 | 17-12 | 7-9 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | AP #4 |
| 2000-01 | 20-9 | 9-7 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | AP #6 |
| 1999-00 | 19-12 | 9-7 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | |
| 1998-99 | 14-16 | 4-12 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | |
| 1997-98 | 11-19 | 3-13 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | |
| 1996-97 | 18-13 | 7-9 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #25 |
| 1995-96 | 12-15 | 6-10 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #15 |
| 1994-95 | 25-9 | 12-4 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #11 |
| 1993-94 | 18-13 | 8-8 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #12 |
| 1992-93 | 21-10 | 9-7 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #7 |
| 1991-92 | 20-13 | 8-8 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | |
| 1990-91 | 21-12 | 6-8 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #11 |
| 1989-90 | 20-12 | 6-8 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1988-89 | 22-11 | 9-5 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1987-88 | 13-18 | 5-9 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1986-87 | 21-10 | 8-6 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1985-86 | 19-11 | 7-7 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1984-85 | 17-16 | 3-11 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1983-84 | 21-12 | 6-8 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #19 |
| 1982-83 | 29-5 | 12-2 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #1 |
| 1981-82 | 30-4 | 12-2 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #1 |
| 1980-81 | 29-4 | 13-1 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #1 |
| 1979-80 | 24-10 | 7-7 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #8 |
| 1978-79 | 19-10 | 7-5 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1977-78 | 20-8 | 6-6 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #11 |
| 1976-77 | 12-17 | 2-10 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1975-76 | 18-12 | 4-8 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #13 |
| 1974-75 | 12-13 | 4-8 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1973-74 | 11-16 | 4-8 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1972-73 | 13-12 | 4-8 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1971-72 | 21-7 | 8-4 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | AP #6 |
| 1970-71 | 15-11 | 6-8 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | AP #15 |
| 1969-70 | 10-15 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1968-69 | 10-15 | 5-9 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1967-68 | 9-16 | 5-9 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1966-67 | 9-17 | 4-10 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1965-66 | 7-15 | 4-10 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1964-65 | 7-18 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1963-64 | 8-16 | 4-10 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1962-63 | 5-20 | 3-11 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1961-62 | 5-18 | 2-12 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1960-61 | 3-23 | 2-12 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1959-60 | 6-18 | 1-13 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1958-59 | 11-14 | 6-8 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1957-58 | 10-13 | 6-8 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1956-57 | 6-19 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bus Male | |
| 1955-56 | 10-17 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bus Male | |
| 1954-55 | 14-15 | 5-9 (ACC) | Bus Male | |
| 1953-54 | 16-11 | 1-4 (ACC) | Bus Male | |
| 1952-53 | 10-13 | Ind | Bus Male | |
| 1951-52 | 11-13 | Ind | Bus Male | |
| 1950-51 | 8-14 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1949-50 | 12-13 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1948-49 | 13-10 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1947-48 | 16-10 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1946-47 | 10-11 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1945-46 | 12-5 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1944-45 | 13-4 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1943-44 | 11-8 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1942-43 | 8-13 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1941-42 | 7-10 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1940-41 | 18-6 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1939-40 | 16-5 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1938-39 | 15-5 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1937-38 | 6-10 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1936-37 | 9-10 | 6-7 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1935-36 | 11-13 | 4-8 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1934-35 | 13-9 | 7-5 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1933-34 | 7-11 | 1-9 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1932-33 | 12-6 | 5-3 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1931-32 | 13-8 | 6-3 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1930-31 | 11-9 | 5-6 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1929-30 | 3-12 | 2-8 (Southern) | Red Randall | |
| 1928-29 | 9-10 | 3-6 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1927-28 | 20-6 | 10-5 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1926-27 | 9-10 | 5-7 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1925-26 | 9-6 | 4-4 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1924-25 | 14-3 | 4-2 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1923-24 | 12-3 | 3-2 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1922-23 | 12-5 | 1-3 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1921-22 | 17-1 | 5-0 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1920-21 | 13-5 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1919-20 | 10-3 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1918-19 | 11-4 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1917-18 | 7-1 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1916-17 | 7-5 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1915-16 | 11-2 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1914-15 | 17-0 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1913-14 | 12-1 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1912-13 | 11-4 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1911-12 | 7-4 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1910-11 | 10-5 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1909-10 | 12-4 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1908-09 | 6-3 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1907-08 | 5-5 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1906-07 | 5-3 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1905-06 | 8-2 | Ind | Henry Lannigan |
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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 |
|---|