Yale's basketball program is one of the oldest in the country, dating to 1896. The Bulldogs compete in the Ivy League and were actually an early powerhouse — Yale won the Helms Athletic Foundation national championship in 1901.
Yale's Bulldog mascot, "Handsome Dan," was introduced in 1889 and is considered the first live college mascot in America. The current Handsome Dan continues a lineage of English bulldogs.
Upsetting No. 5 seed Baylor 79-75 in the 2016 NCAA Tournament as a 12-seed, the program's first NCAA Tournament win ever, coming in its first appearance since 1962.
Yale's Handsome Dan, first introduced in 1889, is widely recognized as the first live animal mascot in American college athletics.
The Yale Bulldogs compete in the Ivy League and hold an all-time record of 1612–1532 (.513 winning percentage) across 130 recorded seasons dating back to 1895-96.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 24-5 | 11-3 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2024-25 | 22-8 | 13-1 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2023-24 | 23-10 | 11-3 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2022-23 | 21-9 | 10-4 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2021-22 | 19-12 | 11-3 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2019-20 | 23-7 | 11-3 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2018-19 | 22-8 | 10-4 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2017-18 | 16-15 | 9-5 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2016-17 | 18-11 | 9-5 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2015-16 | 23-7 | 13-1 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2014-15 | 22-10 | 11-4 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2013-14 | 19-14 | 9-5 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2012-13 | 14-17 | 8-6 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2011-12 | 19-10 | 9-5 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2010-11 | 15-13 | 8-6 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2009-10 | 12-19 | 6-8 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2008-09 | 13-15 | 8-6 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2007-08 | 13-15 | 7-7 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2006-07 | 14-13 | 10-4 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2005-06 | 15-14 | 7-7 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2004-05 | 11-16 | 7-7 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2003-04 | 12-15 | 7-7 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2002-03 | 14-13 | 8-6 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2001-02 | 21-11 | 11-3 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 2000-01 | 10-17 | 7-7 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 1999-00 | 7-20 | 5-9 (Ivy) | James Jones | |
| 1998-99 | 4-22 | 2-12 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1997-98 | 12-14 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1996-97 | 10-16 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1995-96 | 8-18 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1994-95 | 9-17 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1993-94 | 10-16 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1992-93 | 10-16 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1991-92 | 17-9 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1990-91 | 15-11 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1989-90 | 19-7 | 10-4 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1988-89 | 11-17 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1987-88 | 12-14 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1986-87 | 14-12 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Dick Kuchen | |
| 1985-86 | 13-13 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Tom Brennan | |
| 1984-85 | 14-12 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Tom Brennan | |
| 1983-84 | 7-19 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Tom Brennan | |
| 1982-83 | 12-14 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Tom Brennan | |
| 1981-82 | 13-13 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Ray Carazo | |
| 1980-81 | 7-19 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Ray Carazo | |
| 1979-80 | 16-10 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Ray Carazo | |
| 1978-79 | 11-15 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Ray Carazo | |
| 1977-78 | 8-16 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Ray Carazo | |
| 1976-77 | 6-20 | 4-10 (Ivy) | Ray Carazo | |
| 1975-76 | 7-21 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Ray Carazo | |
| 1974-75 | 3-20 | 2-12 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1973-74 | 8-16 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1972-73 | 9-16 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1971-72 | 7-17 | 5-9 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1970-71 | 4-20 | 2-12 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1969-70 | 11-13 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1968-69 | 9-16 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1967-68 | 15-9 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1966-67 | 14-7 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1965-66 | 9-12 | 6-8 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1964-65 | 10-12 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1963-64 | 16-8 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1962-63 | 13-10 | 11-3 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1961-62 | 18-6 | 13-1 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1960-61 | 12-12 | 8-6 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1959-60 | 6-17 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1958-59 | 10-13 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1957-58 | 14-10 | 9-5 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1956-57 | 18-8 | 12-2 (Ivy) | Joseph Vancisin | |
| 1955-56 | 15-11 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | |
| 1954-55 | 3-21 | 3-11 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | |
| 1953-54 | 12-14 | 7-7 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | |
| 1952-53 | 10-15 | 6-6 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | |
| 1951-52 | 14-14 | 4-8 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | |
| 1950-51 | 14-13 | 4-8 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | |
| 1949-50 | 17-9 | 7-5 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | |
| 1948-49 | 22-8 | 9-3 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | AP #11 |
| 1947-48 | 14-13 | 4-8 (Ivy) | Howard Hobson | |
| 1946-47 | 7-18 | 4-8 (Ivy) | Ivy Williamson | |
| 1945-46 | 14-1 | Ind | Red Rolfe | |
| 1944-45 | 14-4 | Ivy | Red Rolfe | |
| 1943-44 | 14-6 | Ind | Red Rolfe | |
| 1942-43 | 6-17 | 1-11 (Ivy) | Red Rolfe | |
| 1941-42 | 7-12 | 3-9 (Ivy) | Kenneth Loeffler | |
| 1940-41 | 10-12 | 4-8 (Ivy) | Kenneth Loeffler | |
| 1939-40 | 13-6 | 7-5 (Ivy) | Kenneth Loeffler | |
| 1938-39 | 4-16 | 3-9 (Ivy) | Kenneth Loeffler | |
| 1937-38 | 7-12 | 3-9 (Ivy) | Kenneth Loeffler | |
| 1936-37 | 12-8 | 7-5 (Ivy) | Kenneth Loeffler | |
| 1935-36 | 8-16 | 6-6 (Ivy) | Kenneth Loeffler | |
| 1934-35 | 11-10 | 5-7 (Ivy) | Elmer Ripley | |
| 1933-34 | 14-9 | 7-5 (Ivy) | Elmer Ripley | |
| 1932-33 | 19-3 | 8-2 (Ivy) | Elmer Ripley | |
| 1931-32 | 10-12 | 1-9 (Ivy) | Elmer Ripley | |
| 1930-31 | 15-8 | 6-4 (Ivy) | Elmer Ripley | |
| 1929-30 | 13-8 | 4-6 (Ivy) | Elmer Ripley | |
| 1928-29 | 11-9 | 4-6 (Ivy) | George Taylor | |
| 1927-28 | 12-9 | 3-7 (Ivy) | George Taylor | |
| 1926-27 | 11-12 | 2-8 (Ivy) | George Taylor | |
| 1925-26 | 5-15 | 0-10 (Ivy) | George Taylor | |
| 1924-25 | 3-16 | 0-10 (Ivy) | Joseph Fogarty | |
| 1923-24 | 12-10 | 3-7 (Ivy) | Joseph Fogarty | |
| 1922-23 | 16-3 | 7-3 (Ivy) | Joseph Fogarty | |
| 1921-22 | 6-21 | 1-9 (Ivy) | Orson Kinney | |
| 1920-21 | 9-17 | 1-9 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1919-20 | 16-9 | 6-4 (Ivy) | Albert Sharpe | |
| 1918-19 | 7-2 | 4-2 (Ivy) | Walter Mace | |
| 1917-18 | 7-14 | 4-6 (Ivy) | Walter Mace | |
| 1916-17 | 19-5 | 9-1 (Ivy) | Bernie Tommers | |
| 1915-16 | 12-8 | 5-5 (Ivy) | Robert Stowe | |
| 1914-15 | 14-3 | 8-2 (Ivy) | Robert Stowe | |
| 1913-14 | 11-7 | 6-4 (Ivy) | Haskell Noyes | |
| 1912-13 | 5-7 | Ivy | Pop Foster | |
| 1911-12 | 1-9 | 1-9 (Ivy) | R.B. Hyatt | |
| 1910-11 | 10-11 | 3-5 (Ivy) | William Lush | |
| 1909-10 | 4-11 | Ind | William Lush | |
| 1908-09 | 9-9 | Ind | William Lush | |
| 1907-08 | 20-9 | 5-3 (Ivy) | William Lush | |
| 1906-07 | 30-7 | 9-1 (Ivy) | William Lush | |
| 1905-06 | 11-17 | 4-6 (Ivy) | Unknown | |
| 1904-05 | 22-13 | 5-3 (Ivy) | Unknown | |
| 1903-04 | 10-12 | 5-5 (Ivy) | Unknown | |
| 1902-03 | 15-1 | 7-1 (Ivy) | William Murphy | |
| 1901-02 | 13-8 | 5-3 (Ivy) | Unknown | |
| 1900-01 | 10-6 | Ind | Unknown | |
| 1899-00 | 9-6 | Ind | Unknown | |
| 1898-99 | 9-2 | Ind | Unknown | |
| 1897-98 | 12-9 | Ind | Henry Anderson | |
| 1896-97 | 11-5 | Ind | Henry Anderson | |
| 1895-96 | 8-5 | Ind | Henry Anderson |
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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 |
|---|