San Francisco's basketball program dates to 1910, and the Dons are one of the most historically significant programs in college basketball. USF won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956 behind Bill Russell, who went on to become the greatest winner in NBA history.
The Dons name is Spanish for "lords" or "gentlemen," reflecting San Francisco's Spanish colonial heritage and the Jesuit university's connection to the city's history.
Bill Russell leading USF to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956, fueling a winning streak that reached 60 games and remains one of the longest in college basketball history.
USF's mid-1950s teams reeled off a then-NCAA-record 60-game winning streak, and Bill Russell revolutionized basketball with his shot-blocking and defensive dominance — he went on to win 11 NBA championships with the Celtics.
The San Francisco Dons compete in the WCC and hold an all-time record of 1528–1098 (.582 winning percentage) across 99 recorded seasons dating back to 1923-24. The program has won 2 NCAA national championships (1955, 1956) and reached 3 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 17-16 | 8-10 (WCC) | Chris Gerlufsen | |
| 2024-25 | 25-10 | 13-5 (WCC) | Chris Gerlufsen | |
| 2023-24 | 23-11 | 11-5 (WCC) | Chris Gerlufsen | |
| 2022-23 | 20-14 | 7-9 (WCC) | Chris Gerlufsen | |
| 2021-22 | 24-10 | 10-6 (WCC) | Todd Golden | |
| 2020-21 | 11-14 | 4-9 (WCC) | Todd Golden | |
| 2019-20 | 22-12 | 9-7 (WCC) | Todd Golden | |
| 2018-19 | 21-10 | 9-7 (WCC) | Kyle Smith | |
| 2017-18 | 22-17 | 9-9 (WCC) | Kyle Smith | |
| 2016-17 | 20-13 | 10-8 (WCC) | Kyle Smith | |
| 2015-16 | 15-15 | 8-10 (WCC) | Rex Walters | |
| 2014-15 | 14-18 | 7-11 (WCC) | Rex Walters | |
| 2013-14 | 21-12 | 13-5 (WCC) | Rex Walters | |
| 2012-13 | 15-16 | 7-9 (WCC) | Rex Walters | |
| 2011-12 | 20-14 | 8-8 (WCC) | Rex Walters | |
| 2010-11 | 19-15 | 10-4 (WCC) | Rex Walters | |
| 2009-10 | 12-18 | 7-7 (WCC) | Rex Walters | |
| 2008-09 | 11-19 | 3-11 (WCC) | Rex Walters | |
| 2007-08 | 10-21 | 5-9 (WCC) | Eddie Sutton,Jessie Evans | |
| 2006-07 | 13-18 | 8-6 (WCC) | Jessie Evans | |
| 2005-06 | 11-17 | 7-7 (WCC) | Jessie Evans | |
| 2004-05 | 17-14 | 6-8 (WCC) | Jessie Evans | |
| 2003-04 | 17-14 | 7-7 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 2002-03 | 15-14 | 9-5 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 2001-02 | 13-15 | 8-6 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 2000-01 | 12-18 | 5-9 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 1999-00 | 19-9 | 7-7 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 1998-99 | 12-18 | 4-10 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 1997-98 | 19-11 | 7-7 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 1996-97 | 16-13 | 9-5 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 1995-96 | 15-12 | 8-6 (WCC) | Philip Mathews | |
| 1994-95 | 10-19 | 4-10 (WCC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1993-94 | 17-11 | 8-6 (WCC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1992-93 | 19-12 | 8-6 (WCC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1991-92 | 13-16 | 4-10 (WCC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1990-91 | 12-17 | 4-10 (WCC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1989-90 | 8-20 | 4-10 (WCC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1988-89 | 16-12 | 8-6 (WCAC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1987-88 | 13-15 | 5-9 (WCAC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1986-87 | 16-12 | 6-8 (WCAC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1985-86 | 7-21 | 2-12 (WCAC) | Jim Brovelli | |
| 1981-82 | 25-6 | 11-3 (WCAC) | Peter Barry | AP #6 |
| 1980-81 | 24-7 | 11-3 (WCAC) | Peter Barry | |
| 1979-80 | 22-7 | 11-5 (WCAC) | Dan Belluomini | |
| 1978-79 | 22-7 | 12-2 (WCAC) | Dan Belluomini | AP #12 |
| 1977-78 | 23-6 | 12-2 (WCAC) | Bob Gaillard | AP #5 |
| 1976-77 | 29-2 | 14-0 (WCAC) | Bob Gaillard | AP #1 |
| 1975-76 | 22-8 | 9-3 (WCAC) | Bob Gaillard | AP #12 |
| 1974-75 | 19-7 | 9-5 (WCAC) | Bob Gaillard | |
| 1973-74 | 19-9 | 12-2 (WCAC) | Bob Gaillard | AP #11 |
| 1972-73 | 23-5 | 12-2 (WCAC) | Bob Gaillard | AP #10 |
| 1971-72 | 20-8 | 13-1 (WCAC) | Bob Gaillard | |
| 1970-71 | 10-16 | 8-6 (WCAC) | Bob Gaillard,Phil Vukicevich | |
| 1969-70 | 15-11 | 9-5 (WCAC) | Phil Vukicevich | |
| 1968-69 | 7-18 | 3-11 (WCAC) | Phil Vukicevich | |
| 1967-68 | 16-10 | 10-4 (WCAC) | Phil Vukicevich | |
| 1966-67 | 13-12 | 7-7 (WCAC) | Phil Vukicevich | |
| 1965-66 | 22-6 | 11-3 (WCAC) | Peter Peletta | |
| 1964-65 | 24-5 | 13-1 (WCAC) | Peter Peletta | AP #3 |
| 1963-64 | 23-5 | 12-0 (WCAC) | Peter Peletta | |
| 1962-63 | 18-9 | 10-2 (WCAC) | Peter Peletta | |
| 1961-62 | 10-15 | 4-8 (WCAC) | Peter Peletta | |
| 1960-61 | 17-11 | 8-4 (WCAC) | Peter Peletta | |
| 1959-60 | 9-16 | 5-7 (WCAC) | Ross Giudice | |
| 1958-59 | 6-20 | 3-9 (WCAC) | Phil Woolpert | |
| 1957-58 | 25-2 | 12-0 (WCAC) | Phil Woolpert | AP #4 |
| 1956-57 | 21-7 | 12-2 (WCAC) | Phil Woolpert | AP #2 |
| 1955-56 | 29-0 | 14-0 (CBA) | Phil Woolpert | AP #1 |
| 1954-55 | 28-1 | 12-0 (CBA) | Phil Woolpert | AP #1 |
| 1953-54 | 14-7 | 8-4 (CBA) | Phil Woolpert | |
| 1952-53 | 10-11 | 6-2 (CBA) | Phil Woolpert | |
| 1951-52 | 11-13 | Ind | Phil Woolpert | |
| 1950-51 | 9-17 | Ind | Phil Woolpert | |
| 1949-50 | 19-7 | Ind | Pete Newell | AP #11 |
| 1948-49 | 25-5 | Ind | Pete Newell | AP #6 |
| 1947-48 | 13-11 | Ind | Pete Newell | |
| 1946-47 | 13-14 | Ind | Pete Newell | |
| 1945-46 | 9-12 | Ind | William Bussenius | |
| 1943-44 | 8-11 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1942-43 | 13-9 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1941-42 | 14-10 | Ind | Wally Cameron | |
| 1940-41 | 2-13 | Ind | Wally Cameron | |
| 1939-40 | 9-8 | Ind | Wally Cameron | |
| 1938-39 | 7-10 | 4-4 (North CA) | Wally Cameron | |
| 1937-38 | 10-12 | 3-5 (North CA) | Wally Cameron | |
| 1936-37 | 10-7 | Ind | Wally Cameron | |
| 1935-36 | 11-9 | Ind | Wally Cameron | |
| 1934-35 | 7-14 | Ind | Wally Cameron | |
| 1933-34 | 8-5 | Ind | Wally Cameron | |
| 1932-33 | 10-7 | Ind | Wally Cameron | |
| 1931-32 | 11-5 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1930-31 | 12-6 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1929-30 | 9-4 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1928-29 | 21-2 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1927-28 | 16-5 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1926-27 | 8-7 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1925-26 | 8-6 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1924-25 | 4-8 | Ind | James Needles | |
| 1923-24 | 14-4 | Ind | James Needles |
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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 |
|---|