Virginia's basketball program dates to 1905, and the 'Cavaliers' name references the Royalist supporters of King Charles I who are said to have fled to colonial Virginia. The program authored college basketball's greatest redemption story: one year after becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed (falling to UMBC 74-54 in 2018), Virginia won the 2019 NCAA Championship in overtime against Texas Tech. In a remarkable twist, the coach who led UMBC to that historic upset, Ryan Odom, was later hired as Virginia's head coach in 2025.
Named for the Royalists of the English Civil War who remained loyal to King Charles I and were associated with colonial Virginia aristocracy
Winning the 2019 NCAA Championship one year after the historic UMBC loss — NBC Sports called it 'the greatest redemption story in the history of sports'
The coach who led UMBC's historic 2018 upset of Virginia as a No. 16 seed, Ryan Odom, was hired as Virginia's head coach in 2025 after Tony Bennett's surprise retirement
The Virginia Cavaliers compete in the ACC and hold an all-time record of 1788–1237 (.591 winning percentage) across 121 recorded seasons dating back to 1905-06. The program has won 1 NCAA national championship (2019) and reached 3 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 30-6 | 15-3 (ACC) | Ryan Odom | AP #9 |
| 2024-25 | 15-17 | 8-12 (ACC) | Ron Sanchez | |
| 2023-24 | 23-11 | 13-7 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #21 |
| 2022-23 | 25-8 | 15-5 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #2 |
| 2021-22 | 21-14 | 12-8 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #25 |
| 2020-21 | 18-7 | 13-4 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #4 |
| 2019-20 | 23-7 | 15-5 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #5 |
| 2018-19 | 35-3 | 16-2 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #2 |
| 2017-18 | 31-3 | 17-1 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #1 |
| 2016-17 | 23-11 | 11-7 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #6 |
| 2015-16 | 29-8 | 13-5 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #3 |
| 2014-15 | 30-4 | 16-2 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #2 |
| 2013-14 | 30-7 | 16-2 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #3 |
| 2012-13 | 23-12 | 11-7 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | |
| 2011-12 | 22-10 | 9-7 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | AP #15 |
| 2010-11 | 16-15 | 7-9 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | |
| 2009-10 | 15-16 | 5-11 (ACC) | Tony Bennett | |
| 2008-09 | 10-18 | 4-12 (ACC) | Dave Leitao | |
| 2007-08 | 17-16 | 5-11 (ACC) | Dave Leitao | AP #23 |
| 2006-07 | 21-11 | 11-5 (ACC) | Dave Leitao | AP #24 |
| 2005-06 | 15-15 | 7-9 (ACC) | Dave Leitao | |
| 2004-05 | 14-15 | 4-12 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | AP #19 |
| 2003-04 | 18-13 | 6-10 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | |
| 2002-03 | 16-16 | 6-10 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | AP #22 |
| 2001-02 | 17-12 | 7-9 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | AP #4 |
| 2000-01 | 20-9 | 9-7 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | AP #6 |
| 1999-00 | 19-12 | 9-7 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | |
| 1998-99 | 14-16 | 4-12 (ACC) | Pete Gillen | |
| 1997-98 | 11-19 | 3-13 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | |
| 1996-97 | 18-13 | 7-9 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #25 |
| 1995-96 | 12-15 | 6-10 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #15 |
| 1994-95 | 25-9 | 12-4 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #11 |
| 1993-94 | 18-13 | 8-8 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #12 |
| 1992-93 | 21-10 | 9-7 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #7 |
| 1991-92 | 20-13 | 8-8 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | |
| 1990-91 | 21-12 | 6-8 (ACC) | Jeff Jones | AP #11 |
| 1989-90 | 20-12 | 6-8 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1988-89 | 22-11 | 9-5 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1987-88 | 13-18 | 5-9 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1986-87 | 21-10 | 8-6 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1985-86 | 19-11 | 7-7 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1984-85 | 17-16 | 3-11 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1983-84 | 21-12 | 6-8 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #19 |
| 1982-83 | 29-5 | 12-2 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #1 |
| 1981-82 | 30-4 | 12-2 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #1 |
| 1980-81 | 29-4 | 13-1 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #1 |
| 1979-80 | 24-10 | 7-7 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #8 |
| 1978-79 | 19-10 | 7-5 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1977-78 | 20-8 | 6-6 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #11 |
| 1976-77 | 12-17 | 2-10 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1975-76 | 18-12 | 4-8 (ACC) | Terry Holland | AP #13 |
| 1974-75 | 12-13 | 4-8 (ACC) | Terry Holland | |
| 1973-74 | 11-16 | 4-8 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1972-73 | 13-12 | 4-8 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1971-72 | 21-7 | 8-4 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | AP #6 |
| 1970-71 | 15-11 | 6-8 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | AP #15 |
| 1969-70 | 10-15 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1968-69 | 10-15 | 5-9 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1967-68 | 9-16 | 5-9 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1966-67 | 9-17 | 4-10 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1965-66 | 7-15 | 4-10 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1964-65 | 7-18 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1963-64 | 8-16 | 4-10 (ACC) | Bill Gibson | |
| 1962-63 | 5-20 | 3-11 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1961-62 | 5-18 | 2-12 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1960-61 | 3-23 | 2-12 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1959-60 | 6-18 | 1-13 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1958-59 | 11-14 | 6-8 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1957-58 | 10-13 | 6-8 (ACC) | Billy McCann | |
| 1956-57 | 6-19 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bus Male | |
| 1955-56 | 10-17 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bus Male | |
| 1954-55 | 14-15 | 5-9 (ACC) | Bus Male | |
| 1953-54 | 16-11 | 1-4 (ACC) | Bus Male | |
| 1952-53 | 10-13 | Ind | Bus Male | |
| 1951-52 | 11-13 | Ind | Bus Male | |
| 1950-51 | 8-14 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1949-50 | 12-13 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1948-49 | 13-10 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1947-48 | 16-10 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1946-47 | 10-11 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1945-46 | 12-5 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1944-45 | 13-4 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1943-44 | 11-8 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1942-43 | 8-13 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1941-42 | 7-10 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1940-41 | 18-6 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1939-40 | 16-5 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1938-39 | 15-5 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1937-38 | 6-10 | Ind | Gus Tebell | |
| 1936-37 | 9-10 | 6-7 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1935-36 | 11-13 | 4-8 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1934-35 | 13-9 | 7-5 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1933-34 | 7-11 | 1-9 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1932-33 | 12-6 | 5-3 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1931-32 | 13-8 | 6-3 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1930-31 | 11-9 | 5-6 (Southern) | Gus Tebell | |
| 1929-30 | 3-12 | 2-8 (Southern) | Red Randall | |
| 1928-29 | 9-10 | 3-6 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1927-28 | 20-6 | 10-5 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1926-27 | 9-10 | 5-7 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1925-26 | 9-6 | 4-4 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1924-25 | 14-3 | 4-2 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1923-24 | 12-3 | 3-2 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1922-23 | 12-5 | 1-3 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1921-22 | 17-1 | 5-0 (Southern) | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1920-21 | 13-5 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1919-20 | 10-3 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1918-19 | 11-4 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1917-18 | 7-1 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1916-17 | 7-5 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1915-16 | 11-2 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1914-15 | 17-0 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1913-14 | 12-1 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1912-13 | 11-4 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1911-12 | 7-4 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1910-11 | 10-5 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1909-10 | 12-4 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1908-09 | 6-3 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1907-08 | 5-5 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1906-07 | 5-3 | Ind | Henry Lannigan | |
| 1905-06 | 8-2 | Ind | Henry Lannigan |
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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 |
|---|