Penn State competes in the Big Ten and has historically struggled to match the basketball success of its football program. However, the Nittany Lions have made NCAA Tournament appearances and have been working to elevate the program in one of college basketball's toughest conferences.
The Nittany Lion is a now-extinct eastern mountain lion that once roamed Mount Nittany near the University Park campus, adopted as the mascot in 1907.
The 2001 season under coach Jerry Dunn, when Penn State reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen by upsetting No. 2 seed North Carolina, the program's deepest tournament run since its 1954 Final Four appearance.
The Bryce Jordan Center seats over 15,000 fans and is one of the largest arenas in the Big Ten, though Penn State has struggled historically to fill it for basketball games.
The Penn State Nittany Lions compete in the Big Ten and hold an all-time record of 1589–1294 (.551 winning percentage) across 130 recorded seasons dating back to 1896-97. The program has reached 1 Final Four.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 12-20 | 3-17 (Big Ten) | Mike Rhoades | |
| 2024-25 | 16-15 | 6-14 (Big Ten) | Mike Rhoades | |
| 2023-24 | 16-17 | 9-11 (Big Ten) | Mike Rhoades | |
| 2022-23 | 23-14 | 10-10 (Big Ten) | Micah Shrewsberry | |
| 2021-22 | 14-17 | 7-13 (Big Ten) | Micah Shrewsberry | |
| 2020-21 | 11-14 | 7-12 (Big Ten) | Jim Ferry | |
| 2019-20 | 21-10 | 11-9 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | AP #9 |
| 2018-19 | 14-18 | 7-13 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | |
| 2017-18 | 26-13 | 9-9 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | |
| 2016-17 | 15-18 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | |
| 2015-16 | 16-16 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | |
| 2014-15 | 18-16 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | |
| 2013-14 | 16-18 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | |
| 2012-13 | 10-21 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | |
| 2011-12 | 12-20 | 4-14 (Big Ten) | Patrick Chambers | |
| 2010-11 | 19-15 | 9-9 (Big Ten) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2009-10 | 11-20 | 3-15 (Big Ten) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2008-09 | 27-11 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2007-08 | 15-16 | 7-11 (Big Ten) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2006-07 | 11-19 | 2-14 (Big Ten) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2005-06 | 15-15 | 6-10 (Big Ten) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2004-05 | 7-23 | 1-15 (Big Ten) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2003-04 | 9-19 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Ed DeChellis | |
| 2002-03 | 7-21 | 2-14 (Big Ten) | Jerry Dunn | |
| 2001-02 | 7-21 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Jerry Dunn | |
| 2000-01 | 21-12 | 7-9 (Big Ten) | Jerry Dunn | |
| 1999-00 | 19-16 | 5-11 (Big Ten) | Jerry Dunn | |
| 1998-99 | 13-14 | 5-11 (Big Ten) | Jerry Dunn | |
| 1997-98 | 19-13 | 8-8 (Big Ten) | Jerry Dunn | |
| 1996-97 | 10-17 | 3-15 (Big Ten) | Jerry Dunn | |
| 1995-96 | 21-7 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Jerry Dunn | AP #9 |
| 1994-95 | 21-11 | 9-9 (Big Ten) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1993-94 | 13-14 | 6-12 (Big Ten) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1992-93 | 7-20 | 2-16 (Big Ten) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1991-92 | 21-8 | Ind | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1990-91 | 21-11 | 10-8 (A-10) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1989-90 | 25-9 | 13-5 (A-10) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1988-89 | 20-12 | 12-6 (A-10) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1987-88 | 13-14 | 9-9 (A-10) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1986-87 | 15-12 | 9-9 (A-10) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1985-86 | 12-17 | 5-13 (A-10) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1984-85 | 8-19 | 4-14 (A-10) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1983-84 | 5-22 | 3-15 (A-10) | Bruce Parkhill | |
| 1982-83 | 17-11 | 9-5 (A-10) | Dick Harter | |
| 1981-82 | 15-12 | Ind | Dick Harter | |
| 1980-81 | 17-10 | Ind | Dick Harter | |
| 1979-80 | 18-10 | Ind | Dick Harter | |
| 1978-79 | 12-18 | 4-6 (EAA) | Dick Harter | |
| 1977-78 | 8-19 | 4-6 (EAA) | John Bach | |
| 1976-77 | 11-15 | 5-5 (ECBL) | John Bach | |
| 1975-76 | 10-15 | Ind | John Bach | |
| 1974-75 | 11-12 | Ind | John Bach | |
| 1973-74 | 14-12 | Ind | John Bach | |
| 1972-73 | 15-8 | Ind | John Bach | |
| 1971-72 | 17-8 | Ind | John Bach | |
| 1970-71 | 10-12 | Ind | John Bach | |
| 1969-70 | 13-11 | Ind | John Bach | |
| 1968-69 | 13-9 | Ind | John Bach | |
| 1967-68 | 10-10 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1966-67 | 10-14 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1965-66 | 18-6 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1964-65 | 20-4 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1963-64 | 16-7 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1962-63 | 15-5 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1961-62 | 12-11 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1960-61 | 11-13 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1959-60 | 11-11 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1958-59 | 11-9 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1957-58 | 8-11 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1956-57 | 15-10 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1955-56 | 12-14 | Ind | John Egli | |
| 1954-55 | 18-10 | Ind | John Egli | AP #19 |
| 1953-54 | 18-6 | Ind | Elmer Gross | AP #9 |
| 1952-53 | 15-9 | Ind | Elmer Gross | |
| 1951-52 | 20-6 | Ind | Elmer Gross | AP #13 |
| 1950-51 | 14-9 | Ind | Elmer Gross | |
| 1949-50 | 13-10 | Ind | Elmer Gross | |
| 1948-49 | 7-10 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1947-48 | 9-10 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1946-47 | 10-8 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1945-46 | 7-9 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1944-45 | 10-7 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1943-44 | 8-7 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1942-43 | 15-4 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1941-42 | 18-3 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1940-41 | 15-5 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1939-40 | 15-8 | Ind | John Lawther | |
| 1938-39 | 13-10 | 5-5 (EIC) | John Lawther | |
| 1937-38 | 13-5 | 6-4 (EIC) | John Lawther | |
| 1936-37 | 10-7 | 6-4 (EIC) | John Lawther | |
| 1935-36 | 6-11 | 0-10 (EIC) | Earl Leslie | |
| 1934-35 | 8-9 | Ind | Earl Leslie | |
| 1933-34 | 8-4 | Ind | Earl Leslie | |
| 1932-33 | 7-4 | Ind | Earl Leslie | |
| 1931-32 | 6-9 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1930-31 | 3-12 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1929-30 | 5-9 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1928-29 | 10-9 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1927-28 | 10-5 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1926-27 | 14-4 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1925-26 | 7-7 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1924-25 | 12-2 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1923-24 | 13-2 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1922-23 | 13-1 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1921-22 | 9-5 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1920-21 | 14-2 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1919-20 | 12-1 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1918-19 | 11-2 | Ind | Hugo Bezdek | |
| 1917-18 | 12-1 | Ind | ||
| 1916-17 | 12-2 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1915-16 | 8-3 | Ind | Dutch Hermann | |
| 1914-15 | 10-3 | Ind | J.F. Park | |
| 1913-14 | 8-4 | Ind | J.F. Haddow | |
| 1912-13 | 8-3 | Ind | J.F. Haddow | |
| 1911-12 | 8-5 | Ind | ||
| 1910-11 | 9-4 | Ind | ||
| 1909-10 | 8-6 | Ind | ||
| 1908-09 | 7-6 | Ind | ||
| 1907-08 | 10-4 | Ind | ||
| 1906-07 | 5-6 | Ind | ||
| 1905-06 | 6-4 | Ind | ||
| 1904-05 | 6-2 | Ind | ||
| 1903-04 | 5-4 | Ind | ||
| 1902-03 | 3-5 | Ind | ||
| 1901-02 | 9-2 | Ind | ||
| 1900-01 | 5-1 | Ind | ||
| 1899-00 | 7-1 | Ind | ||
| 1898-99 | 2-3 | Ind | ||
| 1897-98 | 2-1 | Ind | ||
| 1896-97 | 1-1 | Ind |
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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 |
|---|