Rutgers' basketball program dates to 1907, and the New Jersey school made a remarkable run to the 1976 Final Four as an undefeated team before losing to Michigan. The Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten in 2014 and have worked to rebuild their program.
The Scarlet Knight was adopted as the official mascot in 1955 after a student contest, replacing "Chanticleers" — the scarlet color had been associated with Rutgers since 1869.
The 1976 undefeated regular season and Final Four run under coach Tom Young, led by Phil Sellers and Mike Dabney, remains the program's crowning achievement.
Rutgers hosted the first-ever college football game in 1869, and while basketball has lived in football's shadow, the 1976 Final Four run proved the Scarlet Knights could compete with the nation's best.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights compete in the Big Ten and hold an all-time record of 1357–1317 (.507 winning percentage) across 111 recorded seasons dating back to 1913-14. The program has reached 1 Final Four.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 14-19 | 6-14 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | |
| 2024-25 | 15-17 | 8-12 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | AP #24 |
| 2023-24 | 15-17 | 7-13 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | |
| 2022-23 | 19-15 | 10-10 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | AP #23 |
| 2021-22 | 18-14 | 12-8 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | |
| 2020-21 | 16-12 | 10-10 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | AP #11 |
| 2019-20 | 20-11 | 11-9 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | AP #24 |
| 2018-19 | 14-17 | 7-13 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | |
| 2017-18 | 15-19 | 3-15 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | |
| 2016-17 | 15-18 | 3-15 (Big Ten) | Steve Pikiell | |
| 2015-16 | 7-25 | 1-17 (Big Ten) | Eddie Jordan | |
| 2014-15 | 10-22 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Eddie Jordan | |
| 2013-14 | 12-21 | 5-13 (AAC) | Eddie Jordan | |
| 2012-13 | 15-16 | 5-13 (Big East) | Mike Rice | |
| 2011-12 | 14-18 | 6-12 (Big East) | Mike Rice | |
| 2010-11 | 15-17 | 5-13 (Big East) | Mike Rice | |
| 2009-10 | 15-17 | 5-13 (Big East) | Fred Hill | |
| 2008-09 | 11-21 | 2-16 (Big East) | Fred Hill | |
| 2007-08 | 11-20 | 3-15 (Big East) | Fred Hill | |
| 2006-07 | 10-19 | 3-13 (Big East) | Fred Hill | |
| 2005-06 | 19-14 | 7-9 (Big East) | Gary Waters | |
| 2004-05 | 10-19 | 2-14 (Big East) | Gary Waters | |
| 2003-04 | 20-13 | 7-9 (Big East) | Gary Waters | |
| 2002-03 | 12-16 | 4-12 (Big East) | Gary Waters | |
| 2001-02 | 18-13 | 8-8 (Big East) | Gary Waters | |
| 2000-01 | 11-16 | 3-13 (Big East) | Kevin Bannon | |
| 1999-00 | 15-16 | 6-10 (Big East) | Kevin Bannon | |
| 1998-99 | 19-13 | 9-9 (Big East) | Kevin Bannon | |
| 1997-98 | 14-15 | 6-12 (Big East) | Kevin Bannon | |
| 1996-97 | 11-16 | 5-13 (Big East) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1995-96 | 9-18 | 6-12 (Big East) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1994-95 | 13-15 | 7-9 (A-10) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1993-94 | 11-16 | 6-10 (A-10) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1992-93 | 13-15 | 6-8 (A-10) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1991-92 | 16-15 | 6-10 (A-10) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1990-91 | 19-10 | 14-4 (A-10) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1989-90 | 18-17 | 11-7 (A-10) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1988-89 | 18-13 | 13-5 (A-10) | Bob Wenzel | |
| 1987-88 | 7-22 | 3-15 (A-10) | Craig Littlepage | |
| 1986-87 | 8-20 | 5-13 (A-10) | Craig Littlepage | |
| 1985-86 | 8-21 | 2-16 (A-10) | Craig Littlepage | |
| 1984-85 | 16-14 | 9-9 (A-10) | Tom Young | |
| 1983-84 | 15-13 | 9-9 (A-10) | Tom Young | |
| 1982-83 | 23-8 | 11-3 (A-10) | Tom Young | |
| 1981-82 | 20-10 | 9-5 (EAA) | Tom Young | |
| 1980-81 | 16-14 | 7-6 (EAA) | Tom Young | |
| 1979-80 | 14-14 | 7-3 (EAA) | Tom Young | |
| 1978-79 | 22-9 | 7-3 (EAA) | Tom Young | AP #15 |
| 1977-78 | 24-7 | 7-3 (EAA) | Tom Young | |
| 1976-77 | 18-10 | 7-1 (ECBL) | Tom Young | AP #17 |
| 1975-76 | 31-2 | Ind | Tom Young | AP #3 |
| 1974-75 | 22-7 | Ind | Tom Young | AP #16 |
| 1972-73 | 15-11 | Ind | Richard Lloyd | |
| 1971-72 | 14-11 | Ind | Richard Lloyd | |
| 1970-71 | 16-7 | Ind | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1969-70 | 13-11 | Ind | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1968-69 | 21-4 | Ind | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1967-68 | 14-10 | Ind | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1966-67 | 22-7 | Ind | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1965-66 | 17-7 | Ind | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1964-65 | 12-12 | Ind | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1963-64 | 5-17 | Ind | Bill E. Foster | |
| 1962-63 | 7-16 | Ind | Donald White | |
| 1961-62 | 10-13 | 2-8 (Mid-Atl) | Anthony Kuolt | |
| 1960-61 | 11-10 | 3-6 (Mid-Atl) | Anthony Kuolt | |
| 1959-60 | 11-14 | 4-4 (Mid-Atl) | Anthony Kuolt | |
| 1958-59 | 9-15 | 3-5 (Mid-Atl) | Warren Harris | |
| 1957-58 | 7-15 | Ind | Warren Harris | |
| 1956-57 | 8-15 | Ind | Warren Harris | |
| 1955-56 | 3-15 | Ind | Donald White | |
| 1954-55 | 2-22 | Ind | Donald White | |
| 1953-54 | 11-13 | Ind | Donald White | |
| 1952-53 | 8-13 | Ind | Donald White | |
| 1951-52 | 6-13 | Mid-3 | Donald White | |
| 1950-51 | 7-14 | Mid-3 | Donald White | |
| 1949-50 | 13-15 | Mid-3 | Donald White | |
| 1948-49 | 14-12 | 3-1 (Mid-3) | Donald White | |
| 1947-48 | 14-9 | Ind | Donald White | |
| 1946-47 | 7-12 | Ind | Donald White | |
| 1945-46 | 13-7 | Ind | Donald White | |
| 1944-45 | 11-3 | Ind | Thomas Kenneally | |
| 1942-43 | 7-9 | 3-1 (Mid-3) | Frank Hill | |
| 1941-42 | 8-10 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1940-41 | 8-10 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1939-40 | 5-14 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1938-39 | 8-6 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1937-38 | 11-4 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1936-37 | 13-2 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1935-36 | 8-7 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1934-35 | 13-3 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1933-34 | 9-6 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1932-33 | 8-6 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1931-32 | 4-9 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1930-31 | 6-9 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1929-30 | 10-4 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1928-29 | 10-5 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1927-28 | 9-5 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1926-27 | 10-3 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1925-26 | 4-9 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1924-25 | 7-6 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1923-24 | 8-4 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1922-23 | 11-3 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1921-22 | 10-2 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1920-21 | 7-5 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1919-20 | 11-4 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1918-19 | 6-3 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1917-18 | 5-3 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1916-17 | 4-5 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1915-16 | 3-4 | Ind | Frank Hill | |
| 1914-15 | 1-8 | Ind | George Davidson | |
| 1913-14 | 3-2 | Ind | Dave Armstrong |
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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 |
|---|