Seton Hall Pirates basketball — program history

Seton Hall's basketball program dates to 1903, making it one of the oldest Catholic university basketball programs in the nation. The 'Pirates' nickname dates to 1931, when a sportswriter dubbed Seton Hall's comeback-minded baseball team 'a gang of Pirates.' Seton Hall reached the 1989 NCAA Championship game under P.J. Carlesimo, falling to Michigan in overtime on Rumeal Robinson's free throws — one of the most dramatic title games ever played. As a founding member of the Big East, the Pirates have been a consistent presence in one of basketball's premier conferences.

The name

The 'Pirates' nickname was born on April 24, 1931, when a Newark News sportswriter, watching Seton Hall's baseball team steal a come-from-behind win over Holy Cross, called them 'a gang of Pirates' — a name that stuck.

Signature moment

The 1989 NCAA Championship game against Michigan, a classic that went to overtime with the title decided on free throws in the final seconds

Seton Hall was the first Big East team from New Jersey to reach the NCAA Championship game, and the 1989 title game remains one of the most dramatic finals in tournament history

The Seton Hall Pirates compete in the Big East and hold an all-time record of 1640–1182 (.581 winning percentage) across 113 recorded seasons dating back to 1908-09. The program has reached 1 Final Four.

Season-by-season results

SeasonRecordConferenceCoachAP peak
2025-2621-1210-10 (Big East)Shaheen HollowayAP #25
2024-257-252-18 (Big East)Shaheen Holloway
2023-2425-1213-7 (Big East)Shaheen Holloway
2022-2317-1610-10 (Big East)Shaheen Holloway
2021-2221-1111-8 (Big East)Kevin WillardAP #15
2020-2114-1310-9 (Big East)Kevin Willard
2019-2021-913-5 (Big East)Grant Billmeier,Kevin WillardAP #8
2018-1920-149-9 (Big East)Kevin Willard
2017-1822-1210-8 (Big East)Kevin WillardAP #13
2016-1721-1210-8 (Big East)Kevin Willard
2015-1625-912-6 (Big East)Kevin WillardAP #20
2014-1516-156-12 (Big East)Kevin WillardAP #19
2013-1417-176-12 (Big East)Kevin Willard
2012-1315-183-15 (Big East)Kevin Willard
2011-1221-138-10 (Big East)Kevin WillardAP #24
2010-1113-187-11 (Big East)Kevin Willard
2009-1019-139-9 (Big East)Bobby Gonzalez
2008-0917-157-11 (Big East)Bobby Gonzalez
2007-0817-157-11 (Big East)Bobby Gonzalez
2006-0713-164-12 (Big East)Bobby Gonzalez
2005-0618-129-7 (Big East)Louis Orr
2004-0512-164-12 (Big East)Louis Orr
2003-0421-1010-6 (Big East)Louis Orr
2002-0317-1310-6 (Big East)Louis Orr
2001-0212-185-11 (Big East)Louis Orr
2000-0116-155-11 (Big East)Tommy AmakerAP #7
1999-0022-1010-6 (Big East)Tommy AmakerAP #23
1998-9915-158-10 (Big East)Tommy Amaker
1997-9815-159-9 (Big East)Tommy Amaker
1996-9710-185-13 (Big East)George Blaney
1995-9612-167-11 (Big East)George Blaney
1994-9516-147-11 (Big East)George Blaney
1993-9417-138-10 (Big East)P.J. Carlesimo
1992-9328-714-4 (Big East)P.J. CarlesimoAP #6
1991-9223-912-6 (Big East)P.J. CarlesimoAP #6
1990-9125-99-7 (Big East)P.J. CarlesimoAP #13
1989-9012-165-11 (Big East)P.J. Carlesimo
1988-8931-711-5 (Big East)P.J. CarlesimoAP #9
1987-8822-138-8 (Big East)P.J. Carlesimo
1986-8715-144-12 (Big East)P.J. Carlesimo
1985-8614-183-13 (Big East)P.J. Carlesimo
1984-8510-181-15 (Big East)P.J. Carlesimo
1983-849-192-14 (Big East)P.J. Carlesimo
1982-836-231-15 (Big East)P.J. Carlesimo
1981-8211-162-12 (Big East)Hoddy Mahon
1980-8111-164-10 (Big East)Bill Raftery
1979-8014-131-5 (Big East)Bill Raftery
1978-7916-115-1 (NJNY7)Bill Raftery
1977-7816-111-5 (NJNY7)Bill Raftery
1976-7718-11NJNY7Bill Raftery
1975-7618-9IndBill Raftery
1974-7516-11IndBill Raftery
1973-7416-11IndBill Raftery
1972-738-17IndBill Raftery
1971-7210-16IndBill Raftery
1970-7111-15IndBill Raftery
1969-7010-15IndRichard Regan
1968-699-164-4 (MCC)Richard Regan
1967-689-154-4 (MCC)Richard Regan
1966-677-173-6 (MCC)Richard Regan
1965-666-183-6 (MCC)Richard Regan
1964-6512-13IndRichard Regan
1963-6413-12IndRichard Regan
1962-6316-7IndRichard Regan
1961-6215-9IndRichard Regan
1960-6115-9IndRichard Regan
1959-6016-7IndHoney Russell
1958-5913-10IndHoney Russell
1957-587-19IndHoney Russell
1956-5717-10IndHoney Russell
1955-5620-5IndHoney Russell
1954-5517-9IndHoney RussellAP #20
1953-5413-10IndHoney Russell
1952-5331-2IndHoney RussellAP #1
1951-5225-3IndHoney RussellAP #7
1950-5124-7IndHoney Russell
1949-5011-15IndHoney Russell
1948-4916-8IndJack Reitemeier
1947-4818-4IndJack Reitemeier
1946-4724-3IndBob Davies
1942-4316-2IndHoney Russell
1941-4216-3IndHoney Russell
1940-4120-2IndHoney Russell
1939-4019-0IndHoney Russell
1938-3915-7IndHoney Russell
1937-3810-8IndHoney Russell
1936-375-10IndHoney Russell
1935-364-11IndJohn Colrick
1934-354-11IndJohn Colrick
1932-338-4IndLes Fries
1931-3210-9IndLes Fries
1930-3112-11IndDan Steinberg
1929-3013-9IndFrank Hill
1928-2911-4IndFrank Hill
1927-289-4IndFrank Hill
1926-2710-3IndFrank Hill
1925-267-5IndFrank Hill
1924-258-6IndFrank Hill
1923-246-7IndFrank Hill
1922-238-4IndFrank Hill
1921-2214-2IndFrank Hill
1920-2113-4IndFrank Hill
1919-2010-3IndFrank Hill
1917-188-5IndFrank Hill
1916-1713-3IndFrank Hill
1915-1613-2IndFrank Hill
1914-1515-2IndFrank Hill
1913-1414-3IndFrank Hill
1912-1311-3IndFrank Hill
1911-129-6IndFrank Hill
1910-114-0IndJim Flanagan
1909-106-2IndDick McDonough
1908-0910-4IndWilliam Caffrey

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