Clemson's basketball program was first sponsored in 1912 and won its first four games that season. The Tigers are a founding member of the ACC and have built a competitive program highlighted by multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. Clemson's iconic Tiger Paw logo, introduced in 1970, is one of the most recognizable symbols in college sports. The program reached the Elite Eight in both 1980 — when they upset No. 1 Duke in overtime — and again in 2024, marking the high points of Clemson basketball history.
The 'Tigers' name dates to 1896, when coach Walter Merritt Riggs brought it from his alma mater, Auburn; Clemson's iconic Tiger Paw logo was unveiled on July 21, 1970 and has become one of college sports' most recognizable symbols
Upsetting No. 1 ranked Duke 87-82 in overtime at Littlejohn Coliseum on January 9, 1980, before the largest crowd in arena history
Clemson's first indoor basketball game on campus in 1913 was played in the basement of the administration building, with players reportedly dribbling around the support pillars
The Clemson Tigers compete in the ACC and hold an all-time record of 1478–1383 (.517 winning percentage) across 114 recorded seasons dating back to 1911-12.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 24-10 | 12-6 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | AP #18 |
| 2024-25 | 27-7 | 18-2 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | AP #10 |
| 2023-24 | 24-12 | 11-9 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | AP #13 |
| 2022-23 | 23-11 | 14-6 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | AP #19 |
| 2021-22 | 17-16 | 8-12 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2020-21 | 16-8 | 10-6 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | AP #12 |
| 2019-20 | 16-15 | 9-11 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2018-19 | 20-14 | 9-9 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | AP #16 |
| 2017-18 | 25-10 | 11-7 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | AP #11 |
| 2016-17 | 17-16 | 6-12 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2015-16 | 17-14 | 10-8 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2014-15 | 16-15 | 8-10 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2013-14 | 23-13 | 10-8 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2012-13 | 13-18 | 5-13 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2011-12 | 16-15 | 8-8 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2010-11 | 22-12 | 9-7 (ACC) | Brad Brownell | |
| 2009-10 | 21-11 | 9-7 (ACC) | Oliver Purnell | AP #17 |
| 2008-09 | 23-9 | 9-7 (ACC) | Oliver Purnell | AP #10 |
| 2007-08 | 24-10 | 10-6 (ACC) | Oliver Purnell | AP #15 |
| 2006-07 | 25-11 | 7-9 (ACC) | Oliver Purnell | AP #17 |
| 2005-06 | 19-13 | 7-9 (ACC) | Oliver Purnell | |
| 2004-05 | 16-16 | 5-11 (ACC) | Oliver Purnell | |
| 2003-04 | 10-18 | 3-13 (ACC) | Oliver Purnell | |
| 2002-03 | 15-13 | 5-11 (ACC) | Larry Shyatt | |
| 2001-02 | 13-17 | 4-12 (ACC) | Larry Shyatt | |
| 2000-01 | 12-19 | 2-14 (ACC) | Larry Shyatt | |
| 1999-00 | 10-20 | 4-12 (ACC) | Larry Shyatt | |
| 1998-99 | 20-15 | 5-11 (ACC) | Larry Shyatt | AP #14 |
| 1997-98 | 18-14 | 7-9 (ACC) | Rick Barnes | AP #5 |
| 1996-97 | 23-10 | 9-7 (ACC) | Rick Barnes | AP #2 |
| 1995-96 | 18-11 | 7-9 (ACC) | Rick Barnes | AP #16 |
| 1994-95 | 15-13 | 5-11 (ACC) | Rick Barnes | AP #18 |
| 1993-94 | 18-16 | 6-10 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | |
| 1992-93 | 17-13 | 5-11 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | |
| 1991-92 | 14-14 | 4-12 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | |
| 1990-91 | 11-17 | 2-12 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | |
| 1988-89 | 19-11 | 7-7 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | |
| 1987-88 | 14-15 | 4-10 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | |
| 1986-87 | 25-6 | 10-4 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | AP #10 |
| 1985-86 | 19-15 | 3-11 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | |
| 1984-85 | 16-13 | 5-9 (ACC) | Cliff Ellis | |
| 1983-84 | 14-14 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | |
| 1982-83 | 11-20 | 2-12 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | |
| 1981-82 | 14-14 | 4-10 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | |
| 1980-81 | 20-11 | 6-8 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | AP #19 |
| 1979-80 | 23-9 | 8-6 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | AP #10 |
| 1978-79 | 19-10 | 5-7 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | |
| 1977-78 | 15-12 | 3-9 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | |
| 1976-77 | 22-6 | 8-4 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | AP #10 |
| 1975-76 | 18-10 | 5-7 (ACC) | Bill C. Foster | |
| 1974-75 | 17-11 | 8-4 (ACC) | Tates Locke | AP #11 |
| 1973-74 | 14-12 | 3-9 (ACC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1972-73 | 12-14 | 4-8 (ACC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1971-72 | 10-16 | 2-10 (ACC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1970-71 | 9-17 | 3-11 (ACC) | Tates Locke | |
| 1969-70 | 7-19 | 2-12 (ACC) | Bobby Roberts | |
| 1968-69 | 6-19 | 2-12 (ACC) | Bobby Roberts | |
| 1967-68 | 4-20 | 3-11 (ACC) | Bobby Roberts | |
| 1966-67 | 17-8 | 9-5 (ACC) | Bobby Roberts | |
| 1965-66 | 15-10 | 8-6 (ACC) | Bobby Roberts | |
| 1964-65 | 8-15 | 4-10 (ACC) | Bobby Roberts | |
| 1963-64 | 13-12 | 8-6 (ACC) | Bobby Roberts | |
| 1962-63 | 12-13 | 5-9 (ACC) | Bobby Roberts | |
| 1961-62 | 12-15 | 4-10 (ACC) | Press Maravich | |
| 1960-61 | 10-16 | 5-9 (ACC) | Press Maravich | |
| 1959-60 | 10-16 | 4-10 (ACC) | Press Maravich | |
| 1958-59 | 8-16 | 5-9 (ACC) | Press Maravich | |
| 1957-58 | 8-16 | 4-10 (ACC) | Press Maravich | |
| 1956-57 | 7-17 | 3-11 (ACC) | Press Maravich | |
| 1955-56 | 9-17 | 1-13 (ACC) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1954-55 | 2-21 | 0-14 (ACC) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1953-54 | 5-18 | 0-9 (ACC) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1952-53 | 8-10 | 6-8 (Southern) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1951-52 | 17-7 | 11-4 (Southern) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1950-51 | 11-7 | 9-4 (Southern) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1949-50 | 10-10 | 8-8 (Southern) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1948-49 | 10-11 | 6-9 (Southern) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1947-48 | 6-17 | 3-14 (Southern) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1946-47 | 7-13 | 2-12 (Southern) | Banks McFadden | |
| 1945-46 | 9-11 | 5-7 (Southern) | Rock Norman | |
| 1944-45 | 8-8 | 3-5 (Southern) | Rock Norman | |
| 1943-44 | 1-10 | 1-2 (Southern) | Rock Norman | |
| 1942-43 | 3-13 | 0-10 (Southern) | Rock Norman | |
| 1941-42 | 3-14 | 2-10 (Southern) | Rock Norman | |
| 1940-41 | 8-14 | 7-8 (Southern) | Rock Norman | |
| 1939-40 | 9-12 | 9-7 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1938-39 | 16-8 | 6-6 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1937-38 | 16-7 | 9-4 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1936-37 | 6-15 | 2-7 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1935-36 | 15-7 | 5-5 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1934-35 | 15-3 | 3-1 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1933-34 | 7-12 | 0-6 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1932-33 | 10-9 | 0-2 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1931-32 | 8-12 | 2-9 (Southern) | Joe Davis | |
| 1930-31 | 6-7 | 3-5 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1929-30 | 16-9 | 8-4 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1928-29 | 15-12 | 6-4 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1927-28 | 9-14 | 5-7 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1926-27 | 2-13 | 1-7 (Southern) | Josh Cody | |
| 1925-26 | 4-17 | 1-7 (Southern) | A.A. Gillian | |
| 1924-25 | 4-14 | 3-2 (Southern) | Bud Saunders | |
| 1923-24 | 2-14 | 0-6 (Southern) | Bud Saunders | |
| 1922-23 | 11-6 | 3-3 (Southern) | E.R. Stewart | |
| 1921-22 | 8-13 | 0-3 (Southern) | E.R. Stewart | |
| 1920-21 | 10-4 | Southern | Larry Conover | |
| 1919-20 | 8-6 | Ind | Country Morris | |
| 1918-19 | 3-1 | Ind | Jiggs Donahue | |
| 1917-18 | 3-2 | Ind | Jiggs Donahue | |
| 1916-17 | 8-2 | Ind | Jiggs Donahue | |
| 1915-16 | 2-6 | Ind | A.H. Ward | |
| 1914-15 | 2-5 | Ind | J.O. Erwin | |
| 1913-14 | 1-3 | Ind | J.O. Erwin | |
| 1912-13 | 9-5 | Ind | Frank Dobson | |
| 1911-12 | 4-0 | Ind | Frank Dobson |
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All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home
| 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 |
|---|