Western Kentucky's basketball program dates to 1914 and is one of the winningest in college basketball history. Coach E.A. Diddle led the program for 42 years, and the Hilltoppers have made numerous NCAA Tournament appearances across multiple conferences.
The Hilltoppers name comes from the university's location on a hill overlooking Bowling Green, Kentucky — the campus sits atop "The Hill" and has been called that since the school's founding.
Reaching the 1971 Final Four under coach John Oldham behind All-American Jim McDaniels, cementing WKU as one of the most historically successful mid-major programs.
Western Kentucky's legendary coach E.A. Diddle won 759 games in 42 seasons and was famous for waving a red towel during games — a tradition WKU fans continue to this day.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers compete in the CUSA and hold an all-time record of 1926–1013 (.655 winning percentage) across 105 recorded seasons dating back to 1921-22. The program has reached 1 Final Four.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 18-14 | 11-9 (CUSA) | Hank Plona | |
| 2024-25 | 17-15 | 8-10 (CUSA) | Hank Plona | |
| 2023-24 | 22-12 | 8-8 (CUSA) | Steve Lutz | |
| 2022-23 | 17-16 | 8-12 (CUSA) | Rick Stansbury | |
| 2021-22 | 19-13 | 11-7 (CUSA) | Rick Stansbury | |
| 2020-21 | 21-8 | 11-3 (CUSA) | Rick Stansbury | |
| 2019-20 | 20-10 | 13-5 (CUSA) | Rick Stansbury | |
| 2018-19 | 20-14 | 11-7 (CUSA) | Rick Stansbury | |
| 2017-18 | 27-11 | 14-4 (CUSA) | Rick Stansbury | |
| 2016-17 | 15-17 | 9-9 (CUSA) | Rick Stansbury | |
| 2015-16 | 18-16 | 8-10 (CUSA) | Ray Harper | |
| 2014-15 | 20-12 | 12-6 (CUSA) | Ray Harper | |
| 2013-14 | 20-12 | 12-6 (Sun Belt) | Ray Harper | |
| 2012-13 | 20-16 | 10-10 (Sun Belt) | Ray Harper | |
| 2011-12 | 16-19 | 7-9 (Sun Belt) | Ken McDonald,Ray Harper | |
| 2010-11 | 16-16 | 8-8 (Sun Belt) | Ken McDonald | |
| 2009-10 | 21-13 | 12-6 (Sun Belt) | Ken McDonald | |
| 2008-09 | 25-9 | 15-3 (Sun Belt) | Ken McDonald | |
| 2007-08 | 29-7 | 16-2 (Sun Belt) | Darrin Horn | |
| 2006-07 | 22-11 | 12-6 (Sun Belt) | Darrin Horn | |
| 2005-06 | 23-8 | 12-2 (Sun Belt) | Darrin Horn | |
| 2004-05 | 22-9 | 9-5 (Sun Belt) | Darrin Horn | |
| 2003-04 | 15-13 | 8-6 (Sun Belt) | Darrin Horn | |
| 2002-03 | 24-9 | 12-2 (Sun Belt) | Dennis Felton | AP #19 |
| 2001-02 | 28-4 | 13-1 (Sun Belt) | Dennis Felton | AP #17 |
| 2000-01 | 24-7 | 14-2 (Sun Belt) | Dennis Felton | |
| 1999-00 | 11-18 | 8-8 (Sun Belt) | Dennis Felton | |
| 1998-99 | 13-16 | 7-7 (Sun Belt) | Dennis Felton | |
| 1997-98 | 10-19 | 6-12 (Sun Belt) | Al Seibert,Matt Kilcullen | |
| 1996-97 | 12-15 | 9-9 (Sun Belt) | Matt Kilcullen | |
| 1995-96 | 13-14 | 10-8 (Sun Belt) | Matt Kilcullen | |
| 1994-95 | 27-4 | 17-1 (Sun Belt) | Matt Kilcullen | AP #21 |
| 1993-94 | 20-11 | 14-4 (Sun Belt) | Ralph Willard | AP #25 |
| 1992-93 | 26-6 | 14-4 (Sun Belt) | Ralph Willard | AP #20 |
| 1991-92 | 21-11 | 10-6 (Sun Belt) | Ralph Willard | |
| 1990-91 | 14-14 | 8-6 (Sun Belt) | Ralph Willard | |
| 1989-90 | 13-17 | 7-7 (Sun Belt) | Murray Arnold | |
| 1988-89 | 14-15 | 4-10 (Sun Belt) | Murray Arnold | |
| 1987-88 | 15-13 | 6-8 (Sun Belt) | Murray Arnold | |
| 1986-87 | 29-9 | 12-2 (Sun Belt) | Murray Arnold | AP #8 |
| 1985-86 | 23-8 | 10-4 (Sun Belt) | Clem Haskins | AP #19 |
| 1984-85 | 14-14 | 5-9 (Sun Belt) | Clem Haskins | |
| 1983-84 | 12-17 | 5-9 (Sun Belt) | Clem Haskins | |
| 1982-83 | 12-16 | 4-10 (Sun Belt) | Clem Haskins | |
| 1981-82 | 19-10 | 13-3 (OVC) | Clem Haskins | |
| 1980-81 | 21-8 | 12-2 (OVC) | Clem Haskins | |
| 1979-80 | 21-8 | 10-2 (OVC) | Gene Keady | |
| 1978-79 | 17-11 | 7-5 (OVC) | Gene Keady | |
| 1977-78 | 16-14 | 9-5 (OVC) | Jim Richards | |
| 1976-77 | 10-16 | 6-8 (OVC) | Jim Richards | |
| 1975-76 | 20-9 | 11-3 (OVC) | Jim Richards | |
| 1974-75 | 16-8 | 11-3 (OVC) | Jim Richards | |
| 1973-74 | 15-10 | 8-6 (OVC) | Jim Richards | |
| 1972-73 | 10-16 | 6-8 (OVC) | Jim Richards | |
| 1971-72 | 15-11 | 9-5 (OVC) | Jim Richards | |
| 1970-71 | 24-6 | 12-2 (OVC) | John Oldham | AP #5 |
| 1969-70 | 22-3 | 14-0 (OVC) | John Oldham | AP #12 |
| 1968-69 | 16-10 | 9-5 (OVC) | John Oldham | AP #15 |
| 1967-68 | 18-7 | 9-5 (OVC) | John Oldham | |
| 1966-67 | 23-3 | 13-1 (OVC) | John Oldham | AP #3 |
| 1965-66 | 25-3 | 14-0 (OVC) | John Oldham | AP #10 |
| 1964-65 | 18-9 | 10-4 (OVC) | John Oldham | |
| 1963-64 | 5-16 | 3-11 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1962-63 | 5-16 | 3-9 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1961-62 | 17-10 | 11-1 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1960-61 | 18-8 | 9-3 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1959-60 | 21-7 | 10-2 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | AP #18 |
| 1958-59 | 16-10 | 8-4 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1957-58 | 14-11 | 5-5 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | AP #16 |
| 1956-57 | 17-9 | 9-1 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | AP #12 |
| 1955-56 | 16-12 | 7-3 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1954-55 | 18-10 | 8-2 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | AP #20 |
| 1953-54 | 29-3 | 9-1 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | AP #3 |
| 1952-53 | 25-6 | 8-2 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | AP #8 |
| 1951-52 | 26-5 | 11-1 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | AP #11 |
| 1950-51 | 19-10 | OVC | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1949-50 | 25-6 | OVC | E.A. Diddle | AP #7 |
| 1948-49 | 25-4 | 8-2 (OVC) | E.A. Diddle | AP #3 |
| 1947-48 | 28-2 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1946-47 | 25-4 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1945-46 | 15-19 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1944-45 | 17-10 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1943-44 | 13-9 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1942-43 | 24-3 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1941-42 | 29-5 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1940-41 | 22-4 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1939-40 | 24-6 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1938-39 | 22-3 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1937-38 | 30-3 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1936-37 | 21-2 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1935-36 | 26-4 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1934-35 | 24-3 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1933-34 | 28-8 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1932-33 | 16-6 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1931-32 | 15-8 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1930-31 | 11-3 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1929-30 | 4-12 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1928-29 | 8-10 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1927-28 | 10-7 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1926-27 | 12-7 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1925-26 | 10-4 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1924-25 | 8-6 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1923-24 | 9-9 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1922-23 | 12-2 | Ind | E.A. Diddle | |
| 1921-22 | 3-1 | Ind | L.T. Smith |
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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 |
|---|