Louisville's basketball program was founded in 1911 and became a national force under Denny Crum, who coached for 30 seasons and earned the nickname 'Cool Hand Luke' for his sideline composure. The Cardinals won NCAA titles in 1980, led by Darrell Griffith's 'Doctors of Dunk,' and in 1986, when freshman Pervis Ellison — dubbed 'Never Nervous' — led them past Duke. Louisville is the only school in the nation to have claimed championships in three major postseason tournaments: the 1948 NAIB, the 1956 NIT, and the NCAA Tournament.
The Cardinal Bird has been Louisville's mascot, representing the state bird of Kentucky
The 1986 NCAA Championship, where freshman 'Never Nervous' Pervis Ellison led Louisville to the title over Duke in Denny Crum's second championship
Louisville is the only school to have won the NAIB tournament (1948), the NIT (1956), and the NCAA Championship (1980, 1986) — claiming a triple crown of postseason basketball
The Louisville Cardinals compete in the ACC and hold an all-time record of 1836–1032 (.640 winning percentage) across 108 recorded seasons dating back to 1911-12. The program has won 2 NCAA national championships (1980, 1986) and reached 8 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 23-10 | 11-7 (ACC) | Pat Kelsey | AP #6 |
| 2024-25 | 27-8 | 18-2 (ACC) | Pat Kelsey | AP #10 |
| 2023-24 | 8-24 | 3-17 (ACC) | Kenny Payne | |
| 2022-23 | 4-28 | 2-18 (ACC) | Kenny Payne | |
| 2021-22 | 13-19 | 6-14 (ACC) | Chris Mack,Mike Pegues | |
| 2020-21 | 13-7 | 8-5 (ACC) | Chris Mack | AP #16 |
| 2019-20 | 24-7 | 15-5 (ACC) | Chris Mack | AP #1 |
| 2018-19 | 20-14 | 10-8 (ACC) | Chris Mack | AP #15 |
| 2017-18 | 22-14 | 9-9 (ACC) | David Padgett | AP #16 |
| 2016-17 | 25-9 | 12-6 (ACC) | Rick Pitino | AP #4 |
| 2015-16 | 23-8 | 12-6 (ACC) | Rick Pitino | AP #11 |
| 2010-11 | 25-10 | 12-6 (Big East) | Rick Pitino | AP #11 |
| 2009-10 | 20-13 | 11-7 (Big East) | Rick Pitino | AP #16 |
| 2008-09 | 31-6 | 16-2 (Big East) | Rick Pitino | AP #1 |
| 2007-08 | 27-9 | 14-4 (Big East) | Rick Pitino | AP #6 |
| 2006-07 | 24-10 | 12-4 (Big East) | Rick Pitino | AP #12 |
| 2005-06 | 21-13 | 6-10 (Big East) | Rick Pitino | AP #4 |
| 2004-05 | 33-5 | 14-2 (CUSA) | Rick Pitino | AP #4 |
| 2003-04 | 20-10 | 9-7 (CUSA) | Rick Pitino | AP #4 |
| 2002-03 | 25-7 | 11-5 (CUSA) | Rick Pitino | AP #2 |
| 2001-02 | 19-13 | 8-8 (CUSA) | Rick Pitino | |
| 2000-01 | 12-19 | 8-8 (CUSA) | Denny Crum | |
| 1999-00 | 19-12 | 10-6 (CUSA) | Denny Crum | AP #25 |
| 1998-99 | 19-11 | 11-5 (CUSA) | Denny Crum | AP #24 |
| 1997-98 | 12-20 | 5-11 (CUSA) | Denny Crum | AP #19 |
| 1996-97 | 26-9 | 9-5 (CUSA) | Denny Crum | AP #6 |
| 1995-96 | 22-12 | 10-4 (CUSA) | Denny Crum | AP #12 |
| 1994-95 | 19-14 | 7-5 (Metro) | Denny Crum | |
| 1993-94 | 28-6 | 10-2 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #5 |
| 1992-93 | 22-9 | 11-1 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #9 |
| 1991-92 | 19-11 | 7-5 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #20 |
| 1990-91 | 14-16 | 4-10 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #23 |
| 1989-90 | 27-8 | 12-2 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #4 |
| 1988-89 | 24-9 | 8-4 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #3 |
| 1987-88 | 24-11 | 9-3 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #13 |
| 1986-87 | 18-14 | 9-3 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #2 |
| 1985-86 | 32-7 | 10-2 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #7 |
| 1984-85 | 19-18 | 6-8 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #6 |
| 1983-84 | 24-11 | 11-3 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #6 |
| 1982-83 | 32-4 | 12-0 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #2 |
| 1981-82 | 23-10 | 8-4 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #3 |
| 1980-81 | 21-9 | 11-1 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #3 |
| 1979-80 | 33-3 | 12-0 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #2 |
| 1978-79 | 24-8 | 9-1 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #4 |
| 1977-78 | 23-7 | 9-3 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #7 |
| 1976-77 | 21-7 | 6-1 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #6 |
| 1975-76 | 20-8 | 2-1 (Metro) | Denny Crum | AP #6 |
| 1974-75 | 28-3 | 12-2 (MVC) | Denny Crum | AP #2 |
| 1973-74 | 21-7 | 11-1 (MVC) | Denny Crum | AP #8 |
| 1972-73 | 23-7 | 11-3 (MVC) | Denny Crum | AP #20 |
| 1971-72 | 26-5 | 12-2 (MVC) | Denny Crum | AP #2 |
| 1970-71 | 20-9 | 9-5 (MVC) | Howard Stacey,John Dromo | AP #13 |
| 1969-70 | 18-9 | 11-5 (MVC) | John Dromo | AP #11 |
| 1968-69 | 21-6 | 13-3 (MVC) | John Dromo | AP #11 |
| 1967-68 | 21-7 | 14-2 (MVC) | John Dromo | AP #3 |
| 1966-67 | 23-5 | 12-2 (MVC) | Peck Hickman | AP #2 |
| 1965-66 | 16-10 | 8-6 (MVC) | Peck Hickman | |
| 1964-65 | 15-10 | 8-6 (MVC) | Peck Hickman | |
| 1963-64 | 15-10 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1962-63 | 14-11 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1961-62 | 15-10 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1960-61 | 21-8 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #4 |
| 1959-60 | 15-11 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1958-59 | 19-12 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #17 |
| 1957-58 | 13-12 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1956-57 | 21-5 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #3 |
| 1955-56 | 26-3 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #3 |
| 1954-55 | 19-8 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #12 |
| 1953-54 | 22-7 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #20 |
| 1952-53 | 22-6 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #14 |
| 1951-52 | 20-6 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #12 |
| 1950-51 | 19-7 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #14 |
| 1949-50 | 21-11 | Ind | Peck Hickman | AP #13 |
| 1948-49 | 23-10 | 6-3 (OVC) | Peck Hickman | |
| 1947-48 | 29-6 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1946-47 | 17-6 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1945-46 | 22-6 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1944-45 | 16-3 | Ind | Peck Hickman | |
| 1943-44 | 10-10 | Ind | Harold Church,Walter Casey | |
| 1941-42 | 7-10 | Ind | John Heldman | |
| 1940-41 | 2-14 | Ind | John Heldman | |
| 1939-40 | 1-18 | Ind | Lawrence Apitz | |
| 1938-39 | 1-15 | Ind | Lawrence Apitz | |
| 1937-38 | 4-11 | Ind | Lawrence Apitz | |
| 1936-37 | 4-8 | Ind | Lawrence Apitz | |
| 1935-36 | 14-11 | Ind | Red Money | |
| 1934-35 | 5-9 | Ind | Red Money | |
| 1933-34 | 16-9 | Ind | Red Money | |
| 1932-33 | 11-11 | Ind | Red Money | |
| 1931-32 | 15-7 | Ind | Edward Weber | |
| 1930-31 | 5-11 | Ind | Edward Weber | |
| 1929-30 | 9-6 | Ind | Edward Weber,Tom King | |
| 1928-29 | 12-8 | Ind | Tom King | |
| 1927-28 | 12-4 | Ind | Tom King | |
| 1926-27 | 7-5 | Ind | Tom King | |
| 1925-26 | 4-8 | Ind | Tom King | |
| 1924-25 | 10-7 | Ind | Fred Enke | |
| 1923-24 | 4-13 | Ind | Fred Enke | |
| 1921-22 | 1-13 | Ind | John O'Rouke | |
| 1920-21 | 3-8 | Ind | Jimmie Powers | |
| 1919-20 | 6-5 | Ind | Tuley Brucker | |
| 1918-19 | 7-4 | Ind | Earl Ford | |
| 1917-18 | 3-4 | Ind | Ed Bowman | |
| 1915-16 | 8-3 | Ind | Ed Bowman | |
| 1914-15 | 4-5 | Ind | Team Captains | |
| 1913-14 | 2-6 | Ind | Team Captains | |
| 1912-13 | 2-3 | Ind | Team Captains | |
| 1911-12 | 0-3 | Ind | William Gardiner |
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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 |
|---|