Idaho State's basketball program began in 1923 in Pocatello, Idaho. The Bengals compete in the Big Sky Conference and have won multiple conference championships. The program reached the NCAA Tournament several times in the 1950s-80s.
The Bengals nickname was adopted to represent the fierce Bengal tiger, giving the small-town Idaho university an exotic and powerful athletic identity.
Stunning UCLA 76-75 in the Sweet 16 of the 1977 NCAA Tournament, ending the Bruins' run of 10 straight Final Fours and carrying the small Big Sky program to the Elite Eight.
Idaho State's Reed Gym is one of the smallest Division I basketball venues in the country, and Pocatello's remote location in southeastern Idaho makes it one of the most isolated D-I campuses in America.
The Idaho State Bengals compete in the Big Sky and hold an all-time record of 826–1074 (.435 winning percentage) across 74 recorded seasons dating back to 1952-53.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 13-20 | 5-13 (Big Sky) | Ryan Looney | |
| 2024-25 | 15-15 | 10-8 (Big Sky) | Ryan Looney | |
| 2023-24 | 14-20 | 7-11 (Big Sky) | Ryan Looney | |
| 2022-23 | 11-21 | 8-10 (Big Sky) | Ryan Looney | |
| 2021-22 | 7-23 | 5-15 (Big Sky) | Ryan Looney | |
| 2020-21 | 13-11 | 8-6 (Big Sky) | Ryan Looney | |
| 2019-20 | 8-22 | 4-16 (Big Sky) | Ryan Looney | |
| 2018-19 | 11-19 | 7-13 (Big Sky) | Bill Evans | |
| 2017-18 | 14-16 | 9-9 (Big Sky) | Bill Evans | |
| 2016-17 | 5-26 | 3-15 (Big Sky) | Bill Evans | |
| 2015-16 | 16-15 | 11-7 (Big Sky) | Bill Evans | |
| 2014-15 | 7-23 | 4-14 (Big Sky) | Bill Evans | |
| 2013-14 | 11-18 | 8-12 (Big Sky) | Bill Evans | |
| 2012-13 | 6-24 | 5-15 (Big Sky) | Bill Evans | |
| 2011-12 | 9-21 | 7-9 (Big Sky) | Joe O'Brien,Deane Martin | |
| 2010-11 | 9-20 | 4-12 (Big Sky) | Joe O'Brien | |
| 2009-10 | 7-22 | 4-12 (Big Sky) | Joe O'Brien | |
| 2008-09 | 13-19 | 9-7 (Big Sky) | Joe O'Brien | |
| 2007-08 | 12-19 | 8-8 (Big Sky) | Joe O'Brien | |
| 2006-07 | 13-17 | 8-8 (Big Sky) | Joe O'Brien | |
| 2005-06 | 13-14 | 4-10 (Big Sky) | Doug Oliver | |
| 2004-05 | 9-18 | 3-11 (Big Sky) | Doug Oliver | |
| 2003-04 | 13-18 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Doug Oliver | |
| 2002-03 | 15-14 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Doug Oliver | |
| 2001-02 | 10-17 | 3-11 (Big Sky) | Doug Oliver | |
| 2000-01 | 14-14 | 10-6 (Big Sky) | Doug Oliver | |
| 1999-00 | 8-19 | 3-13 (Big Sky) | Doug Oliver | |
| 1998-99 | 6-20 | 4-12 (Big Sky) | Doug Oliver | |
| 1997-98 | 6-20 | 2-14 (Big Sky) | Herb Williams | |
| 1996-97 | 14-13 | 9-7 (Big Sky) | Herb Williams | |
| 1995-96 | 11-15 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Herb Williams | |
| 1994-95 | 18-10 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Herb Williams | |
| 1993-94 | 18-9 | 10-4 (Big Sky) | Herb Williams | |
| 1992-93 | 10-18 | 5-9 (Big Sky) | Herb Williams | |
| 1991-92 | 9-21 | 6-10 (Big Sky) | Herb Williams | |
| 1990-91 | 11-18 | 7-9 (Big Sky) | Herb Williams | |
| 1989-90 | 6-21 | 3-13 (Big Sky) | Jim Boutin | |
| 1988-89 | 9-18 | 4-12 (Big Sky) | Jim Boutin | |
| 1987-88 | 15-13 | 8-8 (Big Sky) | Jim Boutin | |
| 1986-87 | 15-16 | 5-9 (Big Sky) | Jim Boutin | |
| 1985-86 | 15-12 | 8-6 (Big Sky) | Jim Boutin | |
| 1984-85 | 15-18 | 5-9 (Big Sky) | Wayne Ballard | |
| 1983-84 | 12-20 | 6-8 (Big Sky) | Wayne Ballard | |
| 1982-83 | 10-17 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Wayne Ballard | |
| 1981-82 | 14-12 | 5-9 (Big Sky) | Lynn Archibald | |
| 1980-81 | 12-14 | 6-8 (Big Sky) | Lynn Archibald | |
| 1979-80 | 9-17 | 5-9 (Big Sky) | Lynn Archibald | |
| 1978-79 | 14-13 | 8-6 (Big Sky) | Lynn Archibald | |
| 1977-78 | 16-10 | 11-3 (Big Sky) | Lynn Archibald | |
| 1976-77 | 25-5 | 13-1 (Big Sky) | Jim Killingsworth | |
| 1975-76 | 16-11 | 9-5 (Big Sky) | Jim Killingsworth | |
| 1974-75 | 16-10 | 9-5 (Big Sky) | Jim Killingsworth | |
| 1973-74 | 20-8 | 11-3 (Big Sky) | Jim Killingsworth | |
| 1972-73 | 18-8 | 10-4 (Big Sky) | Jim Killingsworth | |
| 1971-72 | 14-12 | 8-6 (Big Sky) | Jim Killingsworth | |
| 1970-71 | 9-15 | 7-7 (Big Sky) | Danny Miller | |
| 1969-70 | 13-11 | 11-4 (Big Sky) | Danny Miller | |
| 1968-69 | 8-18 | 3-12 (Big Sky) | Danny Miller | |
| 1967-68 | 10-12 | 7-8 (Big Sky) | Danny Miller | |
| 1966-67 | 10-15 | 5-5 (Big Sky) | Claude Retherford | |
| 1965-66 | 7-19 | 1-9 (Big Sky) | Claude Retherford | |
| 1964-65 | 7-19 | 4-6 (Big Sky) | James Nau | |
| 1963-64 | 11-13 | 5-5 (Big Sky) | James Nau | |
| 1962-63 | 9-15 | Ind | John Evans | |
| 1961-62 | 17-9 | Ind | John Evans | |
| 1960-61 | 13-12 | Ind | John Evans | |
| 1959-60 | 21-5 | Ind | John Evans | |
| 1958-59 | 21-7 | Ind | John Grayson | |
| 1957-58 | 22-6 | Ind | John Grayson | |
| 1956-57 | 25-4 | Ind | John Grayson | AP #15 |
| 1955-56 | 18-8 | Ind | Steve Belko | |
| 1954-55 | 18-8 | Ind | Steve Belko | |
| 1953-54 | 22-5 | Ind | Steve Belko | |
| 1952-53 | 18-7 | Ind | Steve Belko |
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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 |
|---|