UAB's basketball program was founded in 1978, and the Birmingham-based school quickly became one of the most successful programs in Conference USA. Gene Bartow, who had previously coached UCLA, built UAB into a consistent NCAA Tournament team in the 1980s and 1990s.
The Blazers name originated in late 1977 when history student Tommy Burns suggested 'Trail Blazers' — the new program blazing a trail for the school, partly inspired by the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers — which was shortened to 'Blazers' and won a January 1978 campus vote.
Upsetting No. 3 seed Iowa State 60-59 in the 2015 NCAA Tournament as a 14-seed — Robert Brown scored 21 and hit a go-ahead three before William Lee's late basket and free throws sealed it — just months after the university had controversially shut down its football program.
Gene Bartow left UCLA — the most storied program in college basketball — to build UAB from scratch, and he turned the Blazers into a perennial NCAA Tournament team.
The UAB Blazers compete in the AAC and hold an all-time record of 965–562 (.632 winning percentage) across 47 recorded seasons dating back to 1979-80.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 20-12 | 11-7 (American) | Andy Kennedy | |
| 2024-25 | 24-13 | 13-5 (AAC) | Andy Kennedy | |
| 2023-24 | 23-12 | 12-6 (AAC) | Andy Kennedy | |
| 2022-23 | 29-10 | 14-6 (CUSA) | Andy Kennedy | |
| 2021-22 | 27-8 | 14-4 (CUSA) | Andy Kennedy | |
| 2020-21 | 22-7 | 13-5 (CUSA) | Andy Kennedy | |
| 2019-20 | 19-13 | 9-9 (CUSA) | Rob Ehsan | |
| 2018-19 | 20-15 | 10-8 (CUSA) | Rob Ehsan | |
| 2017-18 | 20-13 | 10-8 (CUSA) | Rob Ehsan | |
| 2016-17 | 17-16 | 9-9 (CUSA) | Rob Ehsan | |
| 2015-16 | 26-7 | 16-2 (CUSA) | Jerod Haase | |
| 2014-15 | 20-16 | 12-6 (CUSA) | Jerod Haase | |
| 2013-14 | 18-13 | 7-9 (CUSA) | Jerod Haase | |
| 2012-13 | 16-17 | 7-9 (CUSA) | Jerod Haase | |
| 2011-12 | 15-16 | 9-7 (CUSA) | Mike Davis | |
| 2010-11 | 22-9 | 12-4 (CUSA) | Mike Davis | |
| 2009-10 | 25-9 | 11-5 (CUSA) | Mike Davis | AP #24 |
| 2008-09 | 22-12 | 11-5 (CUSA) | Mike Davis | |
| 2007-08 | 23-11 | 12-4 (CUSA) | Mike Davis | |
| 2006-07 | 15-16 | 7-9 (CUSA) | Mike Davis | |
| 2005-06 | 24-7 | 12-2 (CUSA) | Mike Anderson | AP #24 |
| 2004-05 | 22-11 | 10-6 (CUSA) | Mike Anderson | |
| 2003-04 | 22-10 | 12-4 (CUSA) | Mike Anderson | |
| 2002-03 | 21-13 | 8-8 (CUSA) | Mike Anderson | |
| 2001-02 | 13-17 | 6-10 (CUSA) | Murry Bartow | |
| 2000-01 | 17-14 | 8-8 (CUSA) | Murry Bartow | |
| 1999-00 | 14-14 | 7-9 (CUSA) | Murry Bartow | |
| 1998-99 | 20-12 | 10-6 (CUSA) | Murry Bartow | |
| 1997-98 | 21-12 | 10-6 (CUSA) | Murry Bartow | |
| 1996-97 | 18-14 | 7-7 (CUSA) | Murry Bartow | |
| 1995-96 | 16-14 | 6-8 (CUSA) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1994-95 | 14-16 | 5-7 (GMWC) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1993-94 | 22-8 | 8-4 (GMWC) | Gene Bartow | AP #17 |
| 1992-93 | 21-14 | 5-5 (GMWC) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1991-92 | 20-9 | 4-6 (GMWC) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1990-91 | 18-13 | 9-5 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1989-90 | 22-9 | 12-2 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1988-89 | 22-12 | 8-6 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1987-88 | 16-15 | 7-7 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1986-87 | 21-11 | 10-4 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1985-86 | 25-11 | 9-5 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | AP #12 |
| 1984-85 | 25-9 | 11-3 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | AP #13 |
| 1983-84 | 23-11 | 8-6 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1982-83 | 19-14 | 9-5 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1981-82 | 25-6 | 9-1 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | AP #9 |
| 1980-81 | 23-9 | 9-3 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow | |
| 1979-80 | 18-12 | 10-4 (Sun Belt) | Gene Bartow |
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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 |
|---|