Saint Mary's College, a small Catholic school founded in 1863 in San Francisco that settled in Moraga, California in 1928, has been playing basketball since the early 1900s. The 'Gaels' name was bestowed in 1926 by a San Francisco sportswriter, referencing the Irish warrior tradition fitting for a school founded by the Irish Catholic Brothers. Under Randy Bennett, who inherited a 2-27 team in 2001, the Gaels have become one of America's premier mid-major programs and a perennial WCC contender. Saint Mary's has a tradition of recruiting Australian players, having at least one on the roster every season since Bennett's arrival.
Sportswriter Pat Frayne christened the teams 'The Gaels' in 1926, referencing Irish warriors — fitting for a school founded by Irish Catholic Christian Brothers
The 2010 NCAA Tournament run, where Omar Samhan led Saint Mary's past No. 2 seed Villanova to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1959
Two-time Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali played basketball at Saint Mary's under his original name, Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore
The Saint Mary's Gaels compete in the WCC and hold an all-time record of 1516–1294 (.540 winning percentage) across 117 recorded seasons dating back to 1909-10.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 27-5 | 16-2 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #21 |
| 2024-25 | 29-6 | 17-1 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #19 |
| 2023-24 | 26-8 | 15-1 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #15 |
| 2022-23 | 27-8 | 14-2 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #15 |
| 2021-22 | 26-8 | 12-3 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #17 |
| 2020-21 | 14-10 | 4-6 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2019-20 | 26-8 | 11-5 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #18 |
| 2018-19 | 22-12 | 11-5 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2017-18 | 30-6 | 16-2 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #11 |
| 2016-17 | 29-5 | 16-2 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #12 |
| 2015-16 | 29-6 | 15-3 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2014-15 | 21-10 | 13-5 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2013-14 | 23-12 | 11-7 (WCC) | Eran Ganot,Randy Bennett | |
| 2012-13 | 28-7 | 14-2 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2011-12 | 27-6 | 14-2 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #16 |
| 2010-11 | 25-9 | 11-3 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #22 |
| 2009-10 | 28-6 | 11-3 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2008-09 | 28-7 | 10-4 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #22 |
| 2007-08 | 25-7 | 12-2 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | AP #21 |
| 2006-07 | 17-15 | 8-6 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2005-06 | 17-12 | 8-6 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2004-05 | 25-9 | 11-3 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2003-04 | 19-12 | 9-5 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2002-03 | 15-15 | 6-8 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2001-02 | 9-20 | 3-11 (WCC) | Randy Bennett | |
| 2000-01 | 2-27 | 0-14 (WCC) | Dave Bollwinkel | |
| 1999-00 | 8-20 | 3-11 (WCC) | Dave Bollwinkel | |
| 1998-99 | 13-18 | 5-9 (WCC) | Dave Bollwinkel | |
| 1997-98 | 11-15 | 7-7 (WCC) | Dave Bollwinkel | |
| 1996-97 | 23-8 | 10-4 (WCC) | Ernie Kent | |
| 1995-96 | 12-15 | 5-9 (WCC) | Ernie Kent | |
| 1994-95 | 18-10 | 10-4 (WCC) | Ernie Kent | |
| 1993-94 | 13-14 | 5-9 (WCC) | Ernie Kent | |
| 1992-93 | 11-16 | 6-8 (WCC) | Ernie Kent | |
| 1991-92 | 13-17 | 4-10 (WCC) | Ernie Kent | |
| 1990-91 | 13-17 | 7-7 (WCC) | Dave Fehte,Paul Landreaux | |
| 1989-90 | 7-20 | 4-10 (WCC) | Paul Landreaux | |
| 1988-89 | 25-5 | 12-2 (WCAC) | Lynn Nance | AP #17 |
| 1987-88 | 19-9 | 9-5 (WCAC) | Lynn Nance | |
| 1986-87 | 17-13 | 7-7 (WCAC) | Lynn Nance | |
| 1985-86 | 10-17 | 3-11 (WCAC) | Bill Oates | |
| 1984-85 | 15-12 | 7-5 (WCAC) | Bill Oates | |
| 1983-84 | 12-16 | 7-5 (WCAC) | Bill Oates | |
| 1982-83 | 14-12 | 7-5 (WCAC) | Bill Oates | |
| 1981-82 | 11-16 | 3-11 (WCAC) | Bill Oates | |
| 1980-81 | 9-18 | 3-11 (WCAC) | Bill Oates | |
| 1979-80 | 13-14 | 9-7 (WCAC) | Bill Oates | |
| 1978-79 | 13-15 | 5-9 (WCAC) | Frank La Porte | |
| 1977-78 | 13-14 | 5-9 (WCAC) | Frank La Porte | |
| 1976-77 | 11-16 | 4-10 (WCAC) | Frank La Porte | |
| 1975-76 | 3-23 | 2-10 (WCAC) | Frank La Porte | |
| 1974-75 | 14-12 | 7-7 (WCAC) | Frank La Porte | |
| 1973-74 | 15-13 | 5-9 (WCAC) | Frank La Porte | |
| 1972-73 | 7-19 | 2-12 (WCAC) | Bruce Hale | |
| 1971-72 | 9-17 | 3-11 (WCAC) | Bruce Hale | |
| 1970-71 | 10-16 | 4-10 (WCAC) | Bruce Hale | |
| 1969-70 | 3-22 | 0-14 (WCAC) | Mike Cimino | |
| 1968-69 | 6-19 | 3-11 (WCAC) | Mike Cimino | |
| 1967-68 | 4-20 | 3-11 (WCAC) | Mike Cimino | |
| 1966-67 | 4-21 | 2-12 (WCAC) | Mike Cimino | |
| 1965-66 | 8-17 | 4-10 (WCAC) | Mike Cimino | |
| 1964-65 | 8-18 | 5-9 (WCAC) | Mike Cimino | |
| 1963-64 | 7-19 | 5-7 (WCAC) | Mike Cimino | |
| 1962-63 | 14-11 | 8-4 (WCAC) | Mike Cimino | |
| 1961-62 | 13-11 | 8-4 (WCAC) | James Weaver | |
| 1960-61 | 19-7 | 8-4 (WCAC) | James Weaver | |
| 1959-60 | 15-11 | 7-5 (WCAC) | James Weaver | |
| 1958-59 | 19-6 | 11-1 (WCAC) | James Weaver | AP #14 |
| 1957-58 | 11-15 | 8-4 (WCAC) | James Weaver | |
| 1956-57 | 17-9 | 10-4 (WCAC) | James Weaver | |
| 1955-56 | 16-10 | 8-6 (CBA) | James Weaver | |
| 1954-55 | 6-19 | 1-11 (CBA) | Thomas Foley | |
| 1953-54 | 10-14 | 4-8 (CBA) | Thomas Foley | |
| 1952-53 | 9-11 | 4-4 (CBA) | Thomas Foley | |
| 1951-52 | 16-10 | Ind | Thomas Foley | |
| 1950-51 | 9-11 | Ind | Thomas Foley | |
| 1949-50 | 3-22 | Ind | Benjamin Neff | |
| 1948-49 | 13-17 | Ind | Benjamin Neff | |
| 1947-48 | 11-13 | Ind | Benjamin Neff | |
| 1946-47 | 13-17 | Ind | Clarence Andersen | |
| 1945-46 | 10-5 | Ind | Clarence Andersen | |
| 1944-45 | 5-6 | Ind | James Phelan | |
| 1943-44 | 5-5 | Ind | James Phelan | |
| 1942-43 | 12-9 | Ind | Louis Conlan | |
| 1941-42 | 20-5 | Ind | Louis Conlan | |
| 1940-41 | 6-13 | Ind | Louis Conlan | |
| 1939-40 | 7-12 | Ind | Jack Otten | |
| 1938-39 | 11-10 | 3-5 (North CA) | Harlan Dykes | |
| 1937-38 | 10-9 | 5-3 (North CA) | Harlan Dykes | |
| 1936-37 | 14-9 | Ind | James Underhill | |
| 1935-36 | 14-7 | Ind | James Underhill | |
| 1934-35 | 14-5 | Ind | Vincent McNally | |
| 1933-34 | 6-8 | Ind | Vincent McNally | |
| 1932-33 | 10-12 | Ind | Vincent McNally | |
| 1931-32 | 11-14 | Ind | Vincent McNally | |
| 1930-31 | 4-13 | Ind | Vincent McNally | |
| 1929-30 | 5-15 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1928-29 | 5-10 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1927-28 | 7-8 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1926-27 | 9-7 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1925-26 | 11-3 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1924-25 | 4-8 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1923-24 | 12-3 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1922-23 | 2-7 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1921-22 | 0-4 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1920-21 | 0-2 | Ind | Slip Madigan | |
| 1919-20 | 0-6 | Ind | Percival Ritchie | |
| 1918-19 | 3-6 | Ind | Percival Ritchie | |
| 1917-18 | 15-0 | Ind | Otto Rittler | |
| 1916-17 | 15-6 | Ind | Otto Rittler | |
| 1915-16 | 10-3 | Ind | Frank Boek | |
| 1914-15 | 5-3 | Ind | Fred Broderick | |
| 1913-14 | 16-2 | Ind | Otto Rittler | |
| 1912-13 | 4-1 | Ind | Otto Rittler | |
| 1911-12 | 1-1 | Ind | Otto Rittler | |
| 1910-11 | 2-1 | Ind | George Hammer | |
| 1909-10 | 1-1 | Ind | Otto Rittler |
Gonzaga Bulldogs · Loyola Marymount Lions · Oregon State Beavers · Pacific Tigers · Pepperdine Waves · Portland Pilots · San Diego Toreros · San Francisco Dons · Santa Clara Broncos · Seattle U Redhawks · Washington State Cougars
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 |
|---|