Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball — program history
Tulsa's basketball program dates to 1907, and the Golden Hurricane have been a consistent mid-major contender. Under coaches like Nolan Richardson, Tubby Smith, and Bill Self, Tulsa made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and deep runs.
The name
The "Golden Hurricane" name originated in 1922 when a sports commentator said the football team "rolled over opponents like a hurricane." The singular form is intentional.
Signature moment
Reaching the 2000 Elite Eight as a 7-seed under coach Bill Self, beating UNLV, upsetting No. 2 seed Cincinnati, and defeating Miami before falling to North Carolina.
Tulsa served as a launching pad for legendary coaches — Nolan Richardson, Tubby Smith, and Bill Self all coached at Tulsa before leading programs to NCAA Championships elsewhere.
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane compete in the AAC and hold an all-time record of 1554–1267 (.551 winning percentage) across 113 recorded seasons dating back to 1913-14.
Season-by-season results
* Season vacated by the NCAA — absent from the official season table; record computed from the game log and not counted in official totals or rankings.
More AAC programs
Charlotte 49ers · East Carolina Pirates · Florida Atlantic Owls · Memphis Tigers · North Texas Mean Green · Rice Owls · South Florida Bulls · Temple Owls · Tulane Green Wave · UAB Blazers · UTSA Roadrunners · Wichita State Shockers
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