Niagara University near Niagara Falls, New York, competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and produced one of the greatest scorers in college basketball history. The Purple Eagles have a basketball tradition anchored by Calvin Murphy's legendary career in the late 1960s.
The Purple Eagles mascot combines the school's purple primary color with the bald eagle, a symbol of American strength, creating a distinctive and unique athletic identity.
Calvin Murphy's incredible 1967-70 career, during which the 5-foot-9 guard averaged 33.1 points per game and became one of the most electrifying scorers in college basketball history.
Calvin Murphy scored 2,548 career points at Niagara despite standing just 5-foot-9, proving that size doesn't determine greatness — he went on to a Hall of Fame NBA career with the Houston Rockets.
The Niagara Purple Eagles compete in the MAAC and hold an all-time record of 1557–1364 (.533 winning percentage) across 120 recorded seasons dating back to 1905-06.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 8-22 | 5-15 (MAAC) | Greg Paulus | |
| 2024-25 | 11-20 | 6-14 (MAAC) | Greg Paulus | |
| 2023-24 | 16-16 | 11-9 (MAAC) | Greg Paulus | |
| 2022-23 | 16-15 | 10-10 (MAAC) | Greg Paulus | |
| 2021-22 | 14-16 | 9-11 (MAAC) | Greg Paulus | |
| 2020-21 | 9-11 | 7-9 (MAAC) | Greg Paulus | |
| 2019-20 | 12-20 | 9-11 (MAAC) | Greg Paulus | |
| 2018-19 | 13-19 | 6-12 (MAAC) | Chris Casey | |
| 2017-18 | 19-14 | 12-6 (MAAC) | Chris Casey | |
| 2016-17 | 10-23 | 6-14 (MAAC) | Chris Casey | |
| 2015-16 | 7-25 | 5-15 (MAAC) | Chris Casey | |
| 2014-15 | 8-22 | 7-13 (MAAC) | Chris Casey | |
| 2013-14 | 7-26 | 3-17 (MAAC) | Chris Casey | |
| 2012-13 | 19-14 | 13-5 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2011-12 | 14-19 | 8-10 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2010-11 | 9-23 | 5-13 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2009-10 | 18-15 | 9-9 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2008-09 | 26-9 | 14-4 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2007-08 | 19-10 | 12-6 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2006-07 | 23-12 | 13-5 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2005-06 | 11-18 | 7-11 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2004-05 | 20-10 | 13-5 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2003-04 | 22-10 | 13-5 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2002-03 | 17-12 | 12-6 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2001-02 | 18-14 | 12-6 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 2000-01 | 15-13 | 12-6 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 1999-00 | 17-12 | 10-8 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 1998-99 | 17-12 | 13-5 (MAAC) | Joe Mihalich | |
| 1997-98 | 14-13 | 10-8 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1996-97 | 11-17 | 5-9 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1995-96 | 13-15 | 6-8 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1994-95 | 5-25 | 2-12 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1993-94 | 6-21 | 3-11 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1992-93 | 23-7 | 11-3 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1991-92 | 14-14 | 8-8 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1990-91 | 8-20 | 6-10 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1989-90 | 6-22 | 5-11 (MAAC) | Jack Armstrong | |
| 1988-89 | 9-19 | 6-12 (NAC) | Andy Walker | |
| 1987-88 | 15-15 | 12-6 (ECACN) | Andy Walker | |
| 1986-87 | 21-10 | 14-4 (ECACN) | Andy Walker | |
| 1985-86 | 14-14 | 10-8 (ECACN) | Andy Walker | |
| 1984-85 | 16-12 | 11-5 (ECACN) | Pete Lonergan | |
| 1983-84 | 10-18 | 5-9 (ECACN) | Pete Lonergan | |
| 1982-83 | 11-18 | 5-4 (ECACN) | Pete Lonergan | |
| 1981-82 | 19-10 | 7-2 (ECACN) | Pete Lonergan | |
| 1980-81 | 11-15 | 11-15 (ECACN) | Pete Lonergan | |
| 1979-80 | 11-16 | 11-15 (ECACN) | Dan Raskin | |
| 1978-79 | 6-20 | Ind | Dan Raskin | |
| 1977-78 | 14-12 | Ind | Dan Raskin | |
| 1976-77 | 13-13 | Ind | Dan Raskin | |
| 1975-76 | 17-12 | Ind | Frank Layden | |
| 1974-75 | 13-14 | Ind | Frank Layden | |
| 1973-74 | 12-14 | Ind | Frank Layden | |
| 1972-73 | 9-16 | Ind | Frank Layden | |
| 1971-72 | 21-9 | Ind | Frank Layden | |
| 1970-71 | 14-12 | Ind | Frank Layden | |
| 1969-70 | 22-7 | Ind | Frank Layden | AP #12 |
| 1968-69 | 11-13 | Ind | Frank Layden | |
| 1967-68 | 12-12 | Ind | James Maloney | |
| 1966-67 | 12-13 | Ind | James Maloney | |
| 1965-66 | 11-13 | Ind | James Maloney | |
| 1964-65 | 4-17 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1963-64 | 8-12 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1962-63 | 14-4 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1961-62 | 16-8 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1960-61 | 16-5 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1959-60 | 13-12 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1958-59 | 15-7 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1957-58 | 18-7 | 0-2 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1956-57 | 12-13 | 0-4 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | AP #16 |
| 1955-56 | 20-7 | 2-2 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1954-55 | 20-6 | 3-1 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | AP #8 |
| 1953-54 | 24-6 | 3-1 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | AP #12 |
| 1952-53 | 22-6 | 4-0 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | AP #17 |
| 1951-52 | 8-21 | WNY3 | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1950-51 | 18-10 | 2-2 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1949-50 | 20-7 | 2-2 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1948-49 | 24-7 | 3-1 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1947-48 | 15-9 | 3-1 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1946-47 | 13-8 | 2-2 (WNY3) | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1945-46 | 11-8 | Ind | Edward Flynn | |
| 1944-45 | 7-6 | Ind | Edward Flynn | |
| 1942-43 | 20-6 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1941-42 | 16-6 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1940-41 | 13-7 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1939-40 | 12-7 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1938-39 | 11-8 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1937-38 | 8-13 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1936-37 | 12-10 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1935-36 | 17-6 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1934-35 | 13-6 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1933-34 | 11-9 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1932-33 | 13-6 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1931-32 | 19-5 | Ind | Taps Gallagher | |
| 1930-31 | 12-10 | Ind | William McCarthy | |
| 1929-30 | 9-11 | Ind | William McCarthy | |
| 1928-29 | 12-9 | Ind | William McCarthy | |
| 1927-28 | 11-5 | Ind | William McCarthy | |
| 1926-27 | 8-7 | Ind | Peter Dwyer | |
| 1925-26 | 12-6 | Ind | Peter Dwyer | |
| 1924-25 | 12-7 | Ind | Peter Dwyer | |
| 1923-24 | 9-10 | Ind | Peter Dwyer | |
| 1922-23 | 13-4 | Ind | John Blake | |
| 1921-22 | 27-4 | Ind | John Blake | |
| 1920-21 | 15-4 | Ind | John Blake | |
| 1919-20 | 6-2 | Ind | John Blake | |
| 1918-19 | 1-0 | Ind | John O'Shea | |
| 1917-18 | 8-3 | Ind | John O'Shea | |
| 1916-17 | 2-5 | Ind | Tom Tracey | |
| 1915-16 | 4-6 | Ind | Tom Tracey | |
| 1914-15 | 8-9 | Ind | A. V. Barrett | |
| 1913-14 | 9-4 | Ind | A. V. Barrett | |
| 1912-13 | 9-10 | Ind | A. V. Barrett | |
| 1911-12 | 11-10 | Ind | A. V. Barrett | |
| 1910-11 | 7-7 | Ind | Alfred Heerdt | |
| 1909-10 | 13-3 | Ind | Claude Allen | |
| 1908-09 | 2-7 | Ind | Bob Yates | |
| 1907-08 | 6-6 | Ind | Jack Reed | |
| 1906-07 | 5-5 | Ind | Jack Reed | |
| 1905-06 | 4-2 | Ind | Charles McGrath |
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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 |
|---|