Kansas is the only college basketball program founded by the inventor of the game — Dr. James Naismith started the program in 1898, though he remains the school's only coach with a losing record. His protege Phog Allen, the 'Father of Basketball Coaching,' won 746 games and mentored future legends Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith. The Jayhawks have won four NCAA titles and are among the winningest programs in history. Allen Fieldhouse, named for Phog Allen with its court named for Naismith, has been called the loudest arena in college basketball.
Named for 'Jayhawkers,' pro-Union guerrilla fighters from Kansas Territory during the Civil War era, with the bird mascot based on a combination of a blue jay and a hawk
Mario Chalmers' miraculous three-pointer to force overtime in the 2008 NCAA Championship game, which Kansas won over Memphis
Kansas's coaching lineage is unmatched: Naismith coached Allen, who coached Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp — between them, they won more than 2,500 games and multiple national titles
The Kansas Jayhawks compete in the Big 12 and hold an all-time record of 2438–919 (.726 winning percentage) across 127 recorded seasons dating back to 1898-99. The program has won 4 NCAA national championships (1952, 1988, 2008, 2022) and reached 15 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 23-10 | 12-6 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #8 |
| 2024-25 | 21-13 | 11-9 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2023-24 | 23-11 | 10-8 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2022-23 | 28-8 | 13-5 (Big 12) | Bill Self,Norm Roberts | AP #2 |
| 2021-22 | 34-6 | 14-4 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #3 |
| 2020-21 | 21-9 | 12-6 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #3 |
| 2019-20 | 28-3 | 17-1 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2018-19 | 26-10 | 12-6 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2016-17 | 31-5 | 16-2 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2015-16 | 33-5 | 15-3 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2014-15 | 27-9 | 13-5 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #5 |
| 2013-14 | 25-10 | 14-4 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #2 |
| 2012-13 | 31-6 | 14-4 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #2 |
| 2011-12 | 32-7 | 16-2 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #3 |
| 2010-11 | 35-3 | 14-2 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2009-10 | 33-3 | 15-1 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2008-09 | 27-8 | 14-2 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #9 |
| 2007-08 | 37-3 | 13-3 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #2 |
| 2006-07 | 33-5 | 14-2 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #2 |
| 2005-06 | 25-8 | 13-3 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #12 |
| 2004-05 | 23-7 | 12-4 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2003-04 | 24-9 | 12-4 (Big 12) | Bill Self | AP #1 |
| 2002-03 | 30-8 | 14-2 (Big 12) | Roy Williams | AP #2 |
| 2001-02 | 33-4 | 16-0 (Big 12) | Roy Williams | AP #1 |
| 2000-01 | 26-7 | 12-4 (Big 12) | Roy Williams | AP #2 |
| 1999-00 | 24-10 | 11-5 (Big 12) | Roy Williams | AP #5 |
| 1998-99 | 23-10 | 11-5 (Big 12) | Roy Williams | AP #7 |
| 1997-98 | 35-4 | 15-1 (Big 12) | Roy Williams | AP #2 |
| 1996-97 | 34-2 | 15-1 (Big 12) | Roy Williams | AP #1 |
| 1995-96 | 29-5 | 12-2 (Big 8) | Roy Williams | AP #1 |
| 1994-95 | 25-6 | 11-3 (Big 8) | Roy Williams | AP #1 |
| 1993-94 | 27-8 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Roy Williams | AP #1 |
| 1992-93 | 29-7 | 11-3 (Big 8) | Roy Williams | AP #1 |
| 1991-92 | 27-5 | 11-3 (Big 8) | Roy Williams | AP #2 |
| 1990-91 | 27-8 | 10-4 (Big 8) | Roy Williams | AP #8 |
| 1989-90 | 30-5 | 11-3 (Big 8) | Roy Williams | AP #1 |
| 1988-89 | 19-12 | 6-8 (Big 8) | Roy Williams | AP #16 |
| 1987-88 | 27-11 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Larry Brown | AP #7 |
| 1986-87 | 25-11 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Larry Brown | AP #6 |
| 1985-86 | 35-4 | 13-1 (Big 8) | Larry Brown | AP #2 |
| 1984-85 | 26-8 | 11-3 (Big 8) | Larry Brown | AP #9 |
| 1983-84 | 22-10 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Larry Brown | AP #17 |
| 1982-83 | 13-16 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | |
| 1981-82 | 13-14 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | |
| 1980-81 | 24-8 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #18 |
| 1979-80 | 15-14 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #19 |
| 1978-79 | 18-11 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #4 |
| 1977-78 | 24-5 | 13-1 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #5 |
| 1976-77 | 18-10 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | |
| 1975-76 | 13-13 | 6-8 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | |
| 1974-75 | 19-8 | 11-3 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #6 |
| 1973-74 | 23-7 | 13-1 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #6 |
| 1972-73 | 8-18 | 4-10 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | |
| 1971-72 | 11-15 | 7-7 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #14 |
| 1970-71 | 27-3 | 14-0 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #4 |
| 1969-70 | 17-9 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #16 |
| 1968-69 | 20-7 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #4 |
| 1967-68 | 22-8 | 10-4 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #4 |
| 1966-67 | 23-4 | 13-1 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #3 |
| 1965-66 | 23-4 | 13-1 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #4 |
| 1964-65 | 17-8 | 9-5 (Big 8) | Ted Owens | AP #18 |
| 1963-64 | 13-12 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Dick Harp | AP #10 |
| 1962-63 | 12-13 | 5-9 (Big 8) | Dick Harp | |
| 1961-62 | 7-18 | 3-11 (Big 8) | Dick Harp | |
| 1960-61 | 17-8 | 10-4 (Big 8) | Dick Harp | AP #16 |
| 1959-60 | 19-9 | 10-4 (Big 8) | Dick Harp | |
| 1958-59 | 11-14 | 8-6 (Big 8) | Dick Harp | AP #7 |
| 1957-58 | 18-5 | 8-4 (Big 8) | Dick Harp | AP #2 |
| 1956-57 | 24-3 | 11-1 (Big 7) | Dick Harp | AP #1 |
| 1955-56 | 14-9 | 6-6 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | AP #18 |
| 1954-55 | 11-10 | 5-7 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | AP #16 |
| 1953-54 | 16-5 | 10-2 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | AP #5 |
| 1952-53 | 19-6 | 10-2 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | AP #3 |
| 1951-52 | 28-3 | 11-1 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | AP #1 |
| 1950-51 | 16-8 | 8-4 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | AP #10 |
| 1949-50 | 14-11 | 8-4 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | AP #19 |
| 1948-49 | 12-12 | 3-9 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | |
| 1947-48 | 9-15 | 4-8 (Big 7) | Phog Allen | |
| 1946-47 | 16-11 | 5-5 (Big 6) | Howard Engleman,Phog Allen | |
| 1945-46 | 19-2 | 10-0 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1944-45 | 12-5 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1943-44 | 17-9 | 5-5 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1942-43 | 22-6 | 10-0 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1941-42 | 17-5 | 8-2 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1940-41 | 12-6 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1939-40 | 19-6 | 8-2 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1938-39 | 13-7 | 6-4 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1937-38 | 18-2 | 9-1 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1936-37 | 15-4 | 8-2 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1935-36 | 21-2 | 10-0 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1934-35 | 15-5 | 12-4 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1933-34 | 16-1 | 9-1 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1932-33 | 13-4 | 8-2 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1931-32 | 13-5 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1930-31 | 15-3 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1929-30 | 14-4 | 7-3 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1928-29 | 3-15 | 2-8 (Big 6) | Phog Allen | |
| 1927-28 | 9-9 | 9-9 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1926-27 | 15-2 | 10-2 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1925-26 | 16-2 | 16-2 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1924-25 | 17-1 | 15-1 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1923-24 | 16-3 | 15-1 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1922-23 | 17-1 | 16-0 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1921-22 | 16-2 | 15-1 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1920-21 | 10-8 | 10-8 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1919-20 | 11-7 | 9-7 (MVC) | Karl Schlademan,Phog Allen | |
| 1918-19 | 7-9 | 5-9 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1917-18 | 10-8 | 9-8 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1916-17 | 12-8 | 9-7 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1915-16 | 6-12 | 5-11 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1914-15 | 16-1 | 13-1 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1913-14 | 17-1 | 13-1 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1912-13 | 16-6 | 8-3 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1911-12 | 11-7 | 6-2 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1910-11 | 12-6 | 9-3 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1909-10 | 18-1 | 7-1 (MVC) | W.O. Hamilton | |
| 1908-09 | 25-3 | 6-2 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1907-08 | 18-6 | 4-0 (MVC) | Phog Allen | |
| 1906-07 | 7-8 | Ind | Doc Naismith | |
| 1905-06 | 12-7 | Ind | Doc Naismith | |
| 1904-05 | 5-6 | Ind | Doc Naismith | |
| 1903-04 | 5-8 | Ind | Doc Naismith | |
| 1902-03 | 7-8 | Ind | Doc Naismith | |
| 1901-02 | 5-7 | Ind | Doc Naismith | |
| 1900-01 | 4-8 | Ind | Doc Naismith | |
| 1899-00 | 3-4 | Ind | Doc Naismith | |
| 1898-99 | 7-4 | Ind | Doc Naismith |
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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 |
|---|