Vanderbilt claims one of basketball's earliest origins, defeating the Nashville YMCA 9-6 on February 7, 1893 — just two years after James Naismith invented the sport. The 'Commodores' nickname honors founder Cornelius Vanderbilt, a steamship entrepreneur whose rank of Commodore was the highest in the U.S. Navy. As the SEC's only private university, Vanderbilt has carved out a unique niche, with Memorial Gymnasium's distinctive end-of-the-floor bench setup creating one of basketball's most unusual home-court advantages. Perry Wallace broke the SEC's color barrier when he became the conference's first Black varsity basketball player in 1967.
Named for university founder Cornelius Vanderbilt, a steamship tycoon known as 'the Commodore' — the highest rank in the U.S. Navy at the time
Perry Wallace breaking the SEC's color barrier as the conference's first African-American varsity basketball player from 1967-1970, facing hostility at opposing venues
Vanderbilt won the 1951 SEC Tournament in an upset over Kentucky, and legend has it that 'Kentucky' was already inscribed on the championship trophy before the Commodores' victory
The Vanderbilt Commodores compete in the SEC and hold an all-time record of 1724–1279 (.574 winning percentage) across 124 recorded seasons dating back to 1900-01.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 26-7 | 11-7 (SEC) | Mark Byington | AP #10 |
| 2024-25 | 20-13 | 8-10 (SEC) | Mark Byington | AP #24 |
| 2023-24 | 9-23 | 4-14 (SEC) | Jerry Stackhouse | |
| 2022-23 | 22-15 | 11-7 (SEC) | Jerry Stackhouse | |
| 2021-22 | 19-17 | 7-11 (SEC) | Jerry Stackhouse | |
| 2020-21 | 9-16 | 3-13 (SEC) | Jerry Stackhouse | |
| 2019-20 | 11-21 | 3-15 (SEC) | Jerry Stackhouse | |
| 2018-19 | 9-23 | 0-18 (SEC) | Bryce Drew | |
| 2017-18 | 12-20 | 6-12 (SEC) | Bryce Drew | |
| 2016-17 | 19-16 | 10-8 (SEC) | Bryce Drew | |
| 2015-16 | 19-14 | 11-7 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | AP #16 |
| 2014-15 | 21-14 | 9-9 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 2013-14 | 15-16 | 7-11 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 2012-13 | 16-17 | 8-10 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 2011-12 | 25-11 | 10-6 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | AP #7 |
| 2010-11 | 23-11 | 9-7 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | AP #18 |
| 2009-10 | 24-9 | 12-4 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | AP #13 |
| 2008-09 | 19-12 | 8-8 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 2007-08 | 26-8 | 10-6 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | AP #13 |
| 2006-07 | 22-12 | 10-6 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | AP #17 |
| 2005-06 | 17-13 | 7-9 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 2004-05 | 20-14 | 8-8 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 2003-04 | 23-10 | 8-8 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | AP #20 |
| 2002-03 | 11-18 | 3-13 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 2001-02 | 17-15 | 6-10 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 2000-01 | 15-15 | 4-12 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | |
| 1999-00 | 19-11 | 8-8 (SEC) | Kevin Stallings | AP #20 |
| 1998-99 | 14-15 | 5-11 (SEC) | Jan Van Breda Kolff | |
| 1997-98 | 20-13 | 7-9 (SEC) | Jan Van Breda Kolff | |
| 1996-97 | 19-12 | 9-7 (SEC) | Jan Van Breda Kolff | |
| 1995-96 | 18-14 | 7-9 (SEC) | Jan Van Breda Kolff | |
| 1994-95 | 13-15 | 6-10 (SEC) | Jan Van Breda Kolff | |
| 1993-94 | 20-12 | 9-7 (SEC) | Jan Van Breda Kolff | AP #20 |
| 1992-93 | 28-6 | 14-2 (SEC) | Eddie Fogler | AP #5 |
| 1991-92 | 15-15 | 6-10 (SEC) | Eddie Fogler | |
| 1990-91 | 17-13 | 11-7 (SEC) | Eddie Fogler | |
| 1989-90 | 21-14 | 7-11 (SEC) | Eddie Fogler | |
| 1988-89 | 19-14 | 12-6 (SEC) | C.M. Newton | |
| 1987-88 | 20-11 | 10-8 (SEC) | C.M. Newton | AP #15 |
| 1986-87 | 18-16 | 7-11 (SEC) | C.M. Newton | |
| 1985-86 | 13-15 | 7-11 (SEC) | C.M. Newton | |
| 1984-85 | 11-17 | 4-14 (SEC) | C.M. Newton | |
| 1983-84 | 14-15 | 8-10 (SEC) | C.M. Newton | |
| 1982-83 | 19-14 | 9-9 (SEC) | C.M. Newton | |
| 1981-82 | 15-13 | 7-11 (SEC) | C.M. Newton | |
| 1980-81 | 15-14 | 7-11 (SEC) | Richard Schmidt | |
| 1979-80 | 13-13 | 7-11 (SEC) | Richard Schmidt | |
| 1978-79 | 18-9 | 11-7 (SEC) | Wayne Dobbs | AP #17 |
| 1977-78 | 10-17 | 6-12 (SEC) | Wayne Dobbs | |
| 1976-77 | 10-16 | 6-12 (SEC) | Wayne Dobbs | |
| 1975-76 | 16-11 | 12-6 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | |
| 1974-75 | 15-11 | 10-8 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | |
| 1973-74 | 23-5 | 15-3 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | AP #4 |
| 1972-73 | 20-6 | 13-5 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | AP #9 |
| 1971-72 | 16-10 | 10-8 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | |
| 1970-71 | 13-13 | 9-9 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | |
| 1969-70 | 12-14 | 8-10 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | |
| 1968-69 | 15-11 | 9-9 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | AP #12 |
| 1967-68 | 20-6 | 12-6 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | AP #3 |
| 1966-67 | 21-5 | 14-4 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | AP #9 |
| 1965-66 | 22-4 | 13-3 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | AP #2 |
| 1964-65 | 24-4 | 15-1 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | AP #3 |
| 1963-64 | 19-6 | 8-6 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | AP #5 |
| 1962-63 | 16-7 | 9-5 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | |
| 1961-62 | 12-12 | 6-8 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | |
| 1960-61 | 19-5 | 10-4 (SEC) | Robert Polk | AP #16 |
| 1959-60 | 14-9 | 7-7 (SEC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1958-59 | 14-10 | 8-6 (SEC) | Roy Skinner | |
| 1957-58 | 14-11 | 7-7 (SEC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1956-57 | 17-5 | 10-4 (SEC) | Robert Polk | AP #6 |
| 1955-56 | 19-4 | 11-3 (SEC) | Robert Polk | AP #3 |
| 1954-55 | 16-6 | 9-5 (SEC) | Robert Polk | AP #14 |
| 1953-54 | 12-10 | 5-9 (SEC) | Robert Polk | AP #19 |
| 1952-53 | 10-9 | 5-8 (SEC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1951-52 | 18-9 | 9-5 (SEC) | Robert Polk | AP #18 |
| 1950-51 | 19-8 | 10-4 (SEC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1949-50 | 17-8 | 11-3 (SEC) | Robert Polk | AP #18 |
| 1948-49 | 14-8 | 9-5 (SEC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1947-48 | 8-14 | 4-11 (SEC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1946-47 | 7-8 | 4-7 (SEC) | Norm Cooper | |
| 1945-46 | 3-10 | 2-5 (SEC) | Gus Morrow | |
| 1944-45 | 6-6 | SEC | Gus Morrow | |
| 1943-44 | 12-3 | SEC | Smokey Harper | |
| 1942-43 | 10-8 | 9-7 (SEC) | Norm Cooper | |
| 1941-42 | 7-9 | 3-8 (SEC) | Norm Cooper | |
| 1940-41 | 8-9 | 3-9 (SEC) | Jim Buford | |
| 1939-40 | 10-12 | 5-7 (SEC) | Jim Buford | |
| 1938-39 | 14-7 | 7-5 (SEC) | Jim Buford | |
| 1937-38 | 9-12 | 4-8 (SEC) | Jim Buford | |
| 1936-37 | 6-10 | 3-7 (SEC) | Jim Buford | |
| 1935-36 | 9-14 | 9-4 (SEC) | Josh Cody | |
| 1934-35 | 9-11 | 9-6 (SEC) | Josh Cody | |
| 1933-34 | 11-6 | 8-5 (SEC) | Josh Cody | |
| 1932-33 | 14-8 | 11-5 (SEC) | Josh Cody | |
| 1931-32 | 8-11 | 5-7 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1930-31 | 16-8 | 7-7 (Southern) | Gus Morrow | |
| 1929-30 | 6-16 | 1-9 (Southern) | Gus Morrow | |
| 1928-29 | 4-12 | 2-5 (Southern) | Johnny Floyd | |
| 1927-28 | 5-7 | 2-5 (Southern) | Johnny Floyd | |
| 1926-27 | 20-4 | 7-1 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1925-26 | 8-18 | 2-7 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1924-25 | 12-13 | 4-3 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1923-24 | 7-15 | 1-3 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1922-23 | 16-8 | 2-0 (Southern) | Wallace Wade | |
| 1921-22 | 8-8 | Ind | Wallace Wade | |
| 1920-21 | 8-13 | Ind | Guy Denton | |
| 1919-20 | 14-4 | Ind | Guy Denton | |
| 1918-19 | 8-2 | Ind | Ray Morrison | |
| 1917-18 | 6-3 | Ind | Ralph Palmer | |
| 1916-17 | 3-8 | Ind | Guy Denton | |
| 1915-16 | 11-3 | Ind | Guy Denton | |
| 1914-15 | 6-6 | Ind | Guy Denton | |
| 1913-14 | 6-3 | Ind | Guy Denton | |
| 1912-13 | 3-4 | Ind | Oscar Nelson | |
| 1911-12 | 9-9 | Ind | Zeke Martin | |
| 1910-11 | 8-2 | Ind | Zeke Martin | |
| 1909-10 | 10-3 | Ind | R.B. McGehee | |
| 1908-09 | 11-4 | Ind | Ed Hamilton | |
| 1907-08 | 6-10 | Ind | W.L. Throop | |
| 1906-07 | 6-1 | Ind | Stein Stone | |
| 1903-04 | 6-1 | Ind | Ed Hamilton | |
| 1902-03 | 6-0 | Ind | Grinnell Jones | |
| 1901-02 | 5-2 | Ind | W.D. Weatherford | |
| 1900-01 | 2-2 | Ind | W.D. Weatherford |
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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 |
|---|