Temple's basketball program dates to 1894, making it one of the oldest in the country. The Philadelphia school was a perennial power under John Chaney, whose matchup zone defense and fiery personality made Temple one of the most feared programs from the 1980s through 2000s.
The Owls nickname was adopted because Temple was originally a night school — owls are nocturnal creatures, and the name reflected the students who attended classes after dark.
John Chaney's tenure from 1982-2006, during which Temple made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances and reached the Elite Eight five times.
Temple was founded as a night school for working-class students, which is why the owl — a creature of the night — became the mascot, and the Liacouras Center remains one of Philadelphia's premier basketball venues.
The Temple Owls compete in the AAC and hold an all-time record of 2027–1186 (.631 winning percentage) across 130 recorded seasons dating back to 1894-95. The program has reached 2 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 16-16 | 8-10 (American) | Adam Fisher | |
| 2024-25 | 17-15 | 9-9 (AAC) | Adam Fisher | |
| 2023-24 | 16-20 | 5-13 (AAC) | Adam Fisher | |
| 2022-23 | 16-16 | 10-8 (AAC) | Aaron McKie | |
| 2021-22 | 17-12 | 10-7 (AAC) | Aaron McKie | |
| 2020-21 | 5-11 | 4-10 (AAC) | Aaron McKie | |
| 2019-20 | 14-17 | 6-12 (AAC) | Aaron McKie | |
| 2018-19 | 23-10 | 13-5 (AAC) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2017-18 | 17-16 | 8-10 (AAC) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2016-17 | 16-16 | 7-11 (AAC) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2015-16 | 21-12 | 14-4 (AAC) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2014-15 | 26-11 | 13-5 (AAC) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2013-14 | 9-22 | 4-14 (AAC) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2012-13 | 24-10 | 11-5 (A-10) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2011-12 | 24-8 | 13-3 (A-10) | Fran Dunphy | AP #21 |
| 2010-11 | 26-8 | 14-2 (A-10) | Fran Dunphy | AP #19 |
| 2009-10 | 29-6 | 14-2 (A-10) | Fran Dunphy | AP #12 |
| 2008-09 | 22-12 | 11-5 (A-10) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2007-08 | 21-13 | 11-5 (A-10) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2006-07 | 12-18 | 6-10 (A-10) | Fran Dunphy | |
| 2005-06 | 17-15 | 8-8 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 2004-05 | 16-14 | 11-5 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 2003-04 | 15-14 | 9-7 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 2002-03 | 18-16 | 10-6 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 2001-02 | 19-15 | 12-4 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #16 |
| 2000-01 | 24-13 | 12-4 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #17 |
| 1999-00 | 27-6 | 14-2 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #5 |
| 1998-99 | 24-11 | 13-3 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #6 |
| 1997-98 | 21-9 | 13-3 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #16 |
| 1996-97 | 20-11 | 10-6 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 1995-96 | 20-13 | 12-4 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 1994-95 | 19-11 | 10-6 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 1993-94 | 23-8 | 12-4 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #4 |
| 1992-93 | 20-13 | 8-6 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 1991-92 | 17-13 | 11-5 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 1990-91 | 24-10 | 13-5 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #19 |
| 1989-90 | 20-11 | 15-3 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #15 |
| 1988-89 | 18-12 | 15-3 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #17 |
| 1987-88 | 32-2 | 18-0 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #1 |
| 1986-87 | 32-4 | 17-1 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #5 |
| 1985-86 | 25-6 | 15-3 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 1984-85 | 25-6 | 15-3 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 1983-84 | 26-5 | 18-0 (A-10) | John Chaney | AP #15 |
| 1982-83 | 14-15 | 5-9 (A-10) | John Chaney | |
| 1981-82 | 19-8 | 11-0 (ECC) | Don Casey | |
| 1980-81 | 20-8 | 9-2 (ECC) | Don Casey | |
| 1979-80 | 14-12 | 8-3 (ECC) | Don Casey | |
| 1978-79 | 25-4 | 13-0 (ECC) | Don Casey | AP #12 |
| 1977-78 | 24-5 | 4-1 (ECC) | Don Casey | |
| 1976-77 | 17-11 | 4-1 (ECC) | Don Casey | |
| 1975-76 | 9-18 | 3-2 (ECC) | Don Casey | |
| 1974-75 | 7-19 | 4-2 (ECC) | Don Casey | |
| 1973-74 | 16-9 | 4-2 (Mid-Atl) | Don Casey | |
| 1972-73 | 17-10 | 5-1 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1971-72 | 23-8 | 6-0 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1970-71 | 13-12 | 3-3 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1969-70 | 15-13 | 2-3 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1968-69 | 22-8 | 6-1 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1967-68 | 19-9 | 5-2 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1966-67 | 20-8 | 7-0 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1965-66 | 21-7 | 5-3 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1964-65 | 14-10 | 4-3 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1963-64 | 17-8 | 6-1 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1962-63 | 15-7 | 6-3 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1961-62 | 18-9 | 8-2 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1960-61 | 20-8 | 9-1 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1959-60 | 17-9 | 9-2 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1958-59 | 6-19 | 4-7 (Mid-Atl) | Harry Litwack | |
| 1957-58 | 27-3 | Ind | Harry Litwack | AP #5 |
| 1956-57 | 20-9 | Ind | Harry Litwack | |
| 1955-56 | 27-4 | Ind | Harry Litwack | AP #6 |
| 1954-55 | 11-10 | Ind | Harry Litwack | |
| 1953-54 | 15-12 | Ind | Harry Litwack | |
| 1952-53 | 16-10 | Ind | Harry Litwack | |
| 1951-52 | 9-15 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1950-51 | 12-13 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1949-50 | 14-10 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1948-49 | 14-9 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1947-48 | 12-11 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1946-47 | 8-12 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1945-46 | 12-7 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1944-45 | 16-7 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1943-44 | 14-9 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1942-43 | 11-11 | Ind | Josh Cody | |
| 1941-42 | 10-8 | Ind | Ernest Messikomer | |
| 1940-41 | 12-9 | Ind | Ernest Messikomer | |
| 1939-40 | 13-10 | Ind | Ernest Messikomer | |
| 1938-39 | 10-12 | 4-6 (EIC) | James Usilton | |
| 1937-38 | 23-2 | 9-1 (EIC) | James Usilton | |
| 1936-37 | 17-6 | 7-3 (EIC) | James Usilton | |
| 1935-36 | 18-6 | 6-4 (EIC) | James Usilton | |
| 1934-35 | 17-7 | 5-3 (EIC) | James Usilton | |
| 1933-34 | 9-12 | 5-5 (EIC) | James Usilton | |
| 1932-33 | 15-6 | 5-3 (EIC) | James Usilton | |
| 1931-32 | 13-7 | Ind | James Usilton | |
| 1930-31 | 17-4 | Ind | James Usilton | |
| 1929-30 | 18-3 | Ind | James Usilton | |
| 1928-29 | 17-4 | Ind | James Usilton | |
| 1927-28 | 17-5 | Ind | James Usilton | |
| 1926-27 | 14-5 | Ind | James Usilton | |
| 1925-26 | 12-6 | Ind | Samuel Dienes | |
| 1924-25 | 12-10 | Ind | Samuel Dienes | |
| 1923-24 | 15-5 | Ind | Samuel Dienes | |
| 1922-23 | 10-4 | Ind | Francois D'Eliscu | |
| 1921-22 | 4-7 | Ind | Francois D'Eliscu | |
| 1920-21 | 7-4 | Ind | Francois D'Eliscu | |
| 1919-20 | 9-7 | Ind | Francois D'Eliscu | |
| 1917-18 | 8-7 | Ind | Elwood Geiges | |
| 1916-17 | 10-9 | Ind | William Nicolai | |
| 1915-16 | 7-6 | Ind | William Nicolai | |
| 1914-15 | 9-4 | Ind | William Nicolai | |
| 1913-14 | 5-7 | Ind | William Nicolai | |
| 1912-13 | 6-5 | Ind | Fredrick Prosch | |
| 1911-12 | 4-4 | Ind | Fredrick Prosch | |
| 1910-11 | 3-5 | Ind | Fredrick Prosch | |
| 1909-10 | 4-6 | Ind | Fredrick Prosch | |
| 1908-09 | 8-3 | Ind | Edward McCone | |
| 1907-08 | 6-2 | Ind | John Crescenzo | |
| 1906-07 | 5-4 | Ind | John Crescenzo | |
| 1905-06 | 3-4 | Ind | John Crescenzo | |
| 1904-05 | 3-5 | Ind | Shindle Wingert | |
| 1903-04 | 4-4 | Ind | Shindle Wingert | |
| 1902-03 | 5-6 | Ind | Shindle Wingert | |
| 1901-02 | 8-3 | Ind | Shindle Wingert | |
| 1899-00 | 14-8 | Ind | John Rogers | |
| 1898-99 | 18-6 | Ind | Charles Williams | |
| 1897-98 | 22-5 | Ind | Charles Williams | |
| 1896-97 | 10-11 | Ind | Charles Williams | |
| 1895-96 | 15-7 | Ind | Charles Williams | |
| 1894-95 | 8-3 | Ind | Charles Williams |
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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 |
|---|