The Northwestern Wildcats compete in the Big Ten and hold an all-time record of 1196–1632 (.423 winning percentage) across 116 recorded seasons dating back to 1904-05.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 15-19 | 5-15 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | |
| 2024-25 | 17-16 | 7-13 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | |
| 2023-24 | 22-12 | 12-8 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | AP #25 |
| 2022-23 | 22-12 | 12-8 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | AP #21 |
| 2021-22 | 15-16 | 7-13 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | |
| 2020-21 | 9-15 | 6-13 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | AP #19 |
| 2019-20 | 8-23 | 3-17 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | |
| 2018-19 | 13-19 | 4-16 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | |
| 2017-18 | 15-17 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | AP #19 |
| 2016-17 | 24-12 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | AP #25 |
| 2015-16 | 20-12 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | |
| 2014-15 | 15-17 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | |
| 2013-14 | 14-19 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Chris Collins | |
| 2012-13 | 13-19 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2011-12 | 19-14 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2010-11 | 20-14 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2009-10 | 20-14 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | AP #25 |
| 2008-09 | 17-14 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2007-08 | 8-22 | 1-17 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2006-07 | 13-18 | 2-14 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2005-06 | 14-15 | 6-10 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2004-05 | 15-16 | 6-10 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2003-04 | 14-15 | 8-8 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2002-03 | 12-17 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2001-02 | 16-13 | 7-9 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 2000-01 | 11-19 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Bill Carmody | |
| 1999-00 | 5-25 | 0-16 (Big Ten) | Kevin O'Neill | |
| 1998-99 | 15-14 | 6-10 (Big Ten) | Kevin O'Neill | |
| 1997-98 | 10-17 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Kevin O'Neill | |
| 1996-97 | 7-22 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Ricky Byrdsong | |
| 1994-95 | 5-22 | 1-17 (Big Ten) | Ricky Byrdsong | |
| 1993-94 | 15-14 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Ricky Byrdsong | |
| 1992-93 | 8-19 | 3-15 (Big Ten) | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1991-92 | 9-19 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1990-91 | 5-23 | 0-18 (Big Ten) | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1989-90 | 9-19 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1988-89 | 9-19 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1987-88 | 7-21 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1986-87 | 7-21 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1985-86 | 7-20 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Rich Falk | |
| 1984-85 | 6-22 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Rich Falk | |
| 1980-81 | 9-18 | 3-15 (Big Ten) | Rich Falk | |
| 1979-80 | 10-17 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Rich Falk | |
| 1978-79 | 6-21 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Rich Falk | |
| 1977-78 | 8-19 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Tex Winter | |
| 1975-76 | 12-15 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Tex Winter | |
| 1974-75 | 6-20 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Tex Winter | |
| 1973-74 | 9-15 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Tex Winter | |
| 1972-73 | 5-19 | 2-12 (Big Ten) | Brad Snyder | |
| 1971-72 | 5-18 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Brad Snyder | |
| 1970-71 | 7-17 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Brad Snyder | |
| 1969-70 | 9-15 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | Brad Snyder | |
| 1968-69 | 14-10 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Brad Snyder,Larry Glass | AP #12 |
| 1967-68 | 13-10 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Larry Glass | |
| 1966-67 | 11-11 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | Larry Glass | |
| 1965-66 | 12-12 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | Larry Glass | |
| 1964-65 | 7-17 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Larry Glass | |
| 1963-64 | 8-13 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Larry Glass | |
| 1962-63 | 9-15 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Bill Rohr | |
| 1961-62 | 8-15 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Bill Rohr | |
| 1960-61 | 10-12 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Bill Rohr | |
| 1959-60 | 11-12 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Bill Rohr | |
| 1958-59 | 15-7 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Bill Rohr | AP #6 |
| 1957-58 | 13-9 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Bill Rohr | |
| 1956-57 | 6-16 | 2-12 (Big Ten) | Waldo Fisher | |
| 1955-56 | 2-20 | 1-13 (Big Ten) | Waldo Fisher | |
| 1954-55 | 12-10 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | Waldo Fisher | AP #16 |
| 1953-54 | 9-13 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Waldo Fisher | |
| 1952-53 | 6-16 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Waldo Fisher | |
| 1951-52 | 7-15 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | Harold Olsen | |
| 1950-51 | 12-10 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | Harold Olsen | |
| 1949-50 | 10-12 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1948-49 | 5-16 | 2-10 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1947-48 | 6-14 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1946-47 | 7-13 | 2-10 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1945-46 | 15-5 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1944-45 | 7-12 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1943-44 | 12-7 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1942-43 | 8-9 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1941-42 | 8-13 | 5-10 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1940-41 | 7-11 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1939-40 | 13-7 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1938-39 | 7-13 | 5-7 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1937-38 | 10-10 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1936-37 | 11-9 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1935-36 | 13-6 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1934-35 | 10-10 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1933-34 | 11-8 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1932-33 | 15-4 | 10-2 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1931-32 | 13-5 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1930-31 | 16-1 | 11-1 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1929-30 | 8-8 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1928-29 | 12-5 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1927-28 | 12-5 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Dutch Lonborg | |
| 1926-27 | 3-14 | 1-11 (Big Ten) | Maurice Kent | |
| 1925-26 | 5-12 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Maurice Kent | |
| 1924-25 | 6-10 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Maurice Kent | |
| 1923-24 | 0-16 | 0-12 (Big Ten) | Maurice Kent | |
| 1922-23 | 5-10 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Maurice Kent | |
| 1921-22 | 7-11 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Dana Evans | |
| 1920-21 | 2-12 | 1-11 (Big Ten) | Ray Elder | |
| 1919-20 | 3-7 | 2-6 (Big Ten) | Norman Elliott | |
| 1918-19 | 6-6 | 6-4 (Big Ten) | Thomas Robinson | |
| 1917-18 | 7-4 | 5-3 (Big Ten) | Norman Elliott | |
| 1916-17 | 3-11 | 2-10 (Western) | Fred Murphy | |
| 1915-16 | 14-5 | 9-3 (Western) | Fred Murphy | |
| 1914-15 | 11-8 | 5-5 (Western) | Fred Murphy | |
| 1913-14 | 11-6 | 6-5 (Western) | Dennis Grady | |
| 1912-13 | 14-4 | 7-2 (Western) | Dennis Grady | |
| 1911-12 | 4-9 | 0-8 (Western) | Charles Hammett | |
| 1910-11 | 4-15 | 1-12 (Western) | Stuart Templeton | |
| 1909-10 | 0-9 | 0-9 (Western) | Louis Gillesby | |
| 1908-09 | 1-7 | 1-4 (Western) | Louis Gillesby | |
| 1907-08 | 2-7 | Western | Louis Gillesby | |
| 1906-07 | 1-5 | Western | Louis Gillesby | |
| 1904-05 | 2-2 | Western | Thomas Holland |
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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 |
|---|