John R. Wooden Award
Legends of Coaching Award
Table:
Season

Coach

School

1998–99

Dean Smith[35]

North Carolina

1999–00

Mike Krzyzewski[36]

Duke

2000–01

Lute Olson[37]

Arizona

2001–02

Denny Crum[38]

Louisville

2002–03

Roy Williams[39]

Kansas

2003–04

Mike Montgomery[29]

Stanford

2004–05

Jim Calhoun[40]

Connecticut

2005–06

Jim Boeheim[41]

Syracuse

2006–07

Gene Keady[42]

Purdue

2007–08

Pat Summitt[43]

Tennessee (women)

2008–09

Rick Barnes[44]

Texas

2009–10

Billy Donovan[45]

Florida

2010–11

Tom Izzo[46]

Michigan State

2011–12

Geno Auriemma[47]

Connecticut (women)

2012–13

Bill Self[48]

Kansas

2013–14

Tara VanDerveer [49]

Stanford (women)

2014–15

Steve Fisher[50]

San Diego State

2015–16

Tubby Smith[51]

Texas Tech

2016–17

Muffet McGraw[52]

Notre Dame (women)

2017–18

Jay Wright[53]

Villanova

Consulting the table plus the supporting evidence provided.

Respond to the question below: Where did the 2003 to 2004 John Wooden coaching awardee lead players before Stanford ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

The 1998-99 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season concluded in the 64-team 1999 NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament whose finals were held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg , Florida . The Connecticut Huskies earned their first national championship by defeating the Duke Blue Devils 77-74 on March 29 , 1999 . They were coached by Jim Calhoun and the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player was Richard Hamilton . In the 32-team 1999 National Invitation Tournament , the California Golden Bears defeated the Clemson Tigers at the Madison Square Garden in New York City . Following the season , the 1999 NCAA Men 's Basketball All-American Consensus First team included Elton Brand , Mateen Cleaves , Richard Hamilton , Andre Miller and Jason Terry . The consensus second team was composed of Evan Eschmeyer , Steve Francis , Trajan Langdon , Chris Porter and Wally Szczerbiak .
Dean Edwards Smith ( February 28 , 1931 - February 7 , 2015 ) was an American men 's college basketball head coach . Called a coaching legend by the Basketball Hall of Fame , he coached for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Smith coached from 1961 to 1997 and retired with 879 victories , which was the NCAA Division I men 's basketball record at that time . [ a ] Smith had the ninth-highest winning percentage of any men 's college basketball coach ( 77.6% ) . During his tenure as head coach , North Carolina won two national championships and appeared in 11 Final Fours . Smith played college basketball at the University of Kansas , where he won a national championship in 1952 playing for Hall of fame coach Phog Allen . Smith was best known for running a clean program and having a high graduation rate , with 96.6% of his athletes receiving their degrees . While at North Carolina , Smith helped promote desegregation by recruiting the university 's first African-American scholarship basketball player , Charlie Scott , and pushing for equal treatment for African Americans by local businesses . Smith coached and worked with numerous people at North Carolina who achieved notable success in basketball , as players , coaches , or both . Smith retired in 1997 , saying that he was not able to give the team the same level of enthusiasm that he had given it for years . After retiring , Smith used his influence to help various charitable ventures and liberal political activities , but in his latter years he suffered from advanced dementia and ceased most public activities .
The North Carolina Tar Heels men 's basketball program is the intercollegiate men 's basketball team of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . The Tar Heels have won six Men 's Basketball National Championships ( 1957 , 1982 , 1993 , 2005 , 2009 , and 2017 ) . North Carolina 's six NCAA Tournament Championships are third-most all-time , behind University of California , Los Angeles ( 11 ) and University of Kentucky ( 8 ) . They have also won 18 Atlantic Coast Conference tournament titles , 32 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles , and an Atlantic Coast Conference record 20 outright Regular Season Championships . The program has produced many notable players who went on to play in the NBA , including three of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History : Billy Cunningham , Michael Jordan and James Worthy . Many Tar Heel assistant coaches have gone on to become head coaches elsewhere . From the Tar Heels ' first season in 1910-11 through the 2018-19 season , the program has amassed a .739 all-time winning percentage ( second highest all-time ) , winning 2,261 games and losing 799 games in 109 seasons . The Tar Heels also have the most consecutive 20-win seasons with 31 seasons from the 1970-71 season through the 2000-2001 season . On March 2 , 2010 , North Carolina became the second college basketball program to reach 2,000 wins in its history . The Tar Heels are currently ranked 3rd all time in wins trailing Kentucky by 34 games and Kansas by 13 games . The Tar Heels are one of only four Division I Men 's Basketball programs to have ever achieved 2,000 victories . Kentucky , Kansas , and Duke are the other three .
The 1999-2000 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 11 , 1999 , with the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic , progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments , and concluded with the 2000 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3 , 2000 , at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis , Indiana .
Michael William Krzyzewski ( /ʃɪˈʒɛfski/ shih-ZHEF-skee ; nicknamed Coach K ; born February 13 , 1947 ) is an American college basketball coach and former player . Since 1980 , he has served as the head men 's basketball coach at Duke University , where he has led the Blue Devils to five NCAA Championships , 12 Final Fours , 12 ACC regular season titles , and 15 ACC Tournament championships . Among men 's college basketball coaches , only UCLA 's John Wooden has won more NCAA Championships with a total of 10 . Krzyzewski has also coached the United States men 's national basketball team , which he has led to three gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics , 2012 Summer Olympics , and 2016 Summer Olympics . He served as the head coach of the American team that won gold medals at the 2010 and the 2014 FIBA World Cup . He was also an assistant coach for the 1992 Dream Team . Krzyzewski was a point guard at Army from 1966 to 1969 under coach Bob Knight . From 1975 to 1980 , he was the head basketball coach for his alma mater . He is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame , in 2001 for his individual coaching career and in 2010 as part of the collective induction of the Dream Team . He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 , and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009 ( with the Dream Team ) . On November 15 , 2011 , Krzyzewski led Duke to a 74-69 victory over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden to become the coach with the most wins in NCAA Division I men 's basketball history . Krzyzewski 's 903rd victory set a new record , breaking that held by his former coach , Bob Knight .
The Duke Blue Devils men 's basketball team represents Duke University in NCAA Division I college basketball and competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . The team is fourth all-time in wins of any NCAA men 's basketball program , and is coached by Mike Krzyzewski . Duke has won 5 NCAA Championships ( tied with Indiana for fourth all-time behind UCLA , Kentucky and North Carolina ) and appeared in 11 Championship Games ( third all-time ) and 16 Final Fours ( fourth all-time behind North Carolina , UCLA , and Kentucky ) , and has an NCAA-best .755 NCAA tournament winning percentage . Eleven Duke players have been named the National Player of the Year , and 71 players have been selected in the NBA Draft . Additionally , Duke has 36 players named All-Americans ( chosen 60 times ) and 14 Academic All-Americans . Duke has been the Atlantic Coast Conference Champions a record 21 times , and also lays claim to 19 ACC regular season titles . Prior to joining the ACC , Duke won the Southern Conference championships five times . Duke has also finished the season ranked No . 1 in the AP poll seven times and is the all-time leader in total weeks ranked as the number one team in the nation by the AP with 135 weeks . Additionally , the Blue Devils have the third longest streak in the AP Top 25 in history with 200 consecutive appearances from 1996 to 2007 , trailing only UCLA 's 221 consecutive polls from 1966 to 1980 , and Kansas 212 consecutive polls from 2009 to 2020 .
The 2000-01 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 8 , 2000 , progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments , and concluded with the 2001 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2 , 2001 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis , Minnesota . The Duke Blue Devils won their third NCAA national championship with an 82-72 victory over the Arizona Wildcats .
Robert Luther Lute Olson ( born September 22 , 1934 ) is an American retired Hall of Fame basketball coach , who has been inducted into both the Basketball Hall of Fame ( 2002 ) , the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame ( 2006 ) and re-inducted in the class of 2019 . He was the head coach of the University of Arizona 's men 's team for 25 years . He was also head coach at the University of Iowa for nine years and California State University , Long Beach for one season . Olson was known for player development , and many of his former players have gone on to impressive careers in the NBA . On October 23 , 2008 , Olson announced his retirement from coaching .
The Arizona Wildcats men 's basketball team is the intercollegiate men 's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson , Arizona . They compete in the Pac-12 Conference of NCAA Division I and are currently coached by Sean Miller . Arizona has a long and rich basketball history . The program came to national prominence under the tutelage of former head coach Lute Olson ( 1983-2007 ) , who established the program as among America 's elite in college basketball . One writer referred to UA as Point Guard U because the school has produced successful guards like Steve Kerr , Damon Stoudamire , Khalid Reeves , Mike Bibby , Jason Terry , Gilbert Arenas , Jason Gardner , Jerryd Bayless , and T. J. McConnell , among others . From 1985 to 2009 , the Arizona basketball team reached the NCAA Division I Tournament for 25 consecutive years , two years shy of North Carolina 's record with 27 . Despite having their 1999 and 2008 appearances later vacated by the NCAA , the media still cites Arizona 's streak , and simply notes the changes . The Wildcats have reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament on four occasions ( 1988 , 1994 , 1997 , and 2001 ) . They have also made two appearances in the National Championship ( won over Kentucky Wildcats in 1997 , lost to Duke Blue Devils in 2001 ) . In Pac-10 play , former head coach Lute Olson currently holds the record for most wins as a Pac-10 coach with 327 . In addition , the team has won sixteen Pac-10/12 regular season championship titles and seven Pac-10/12 tournament championship titles . Arizona also holds the distinction of recording five out of the seven 17-1 Pac-10 seasons ( one-loss seasons ) .
The 2001-02 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 9 , 2001 , progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments , and concluded with the 2002 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 1 , 2002 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta , Georgia . The Maryland Terrapins won their first NCAA national championship with a 64-52 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers .
Denzel Edwin Denny Crum ( born March 2 , 1937 ) is a former American men 's college basketball coach at the University of Louisville from 1971 to 2001 , compiling a 675-295 record . He guided the Cardinals to two NCAA championships ( 1980 , 1986 ) and six Final Fours . Honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 1994 , Crum is one of the major figures in the history of sports in Kentucky and in college basketball in general . As the head coach at U of L , Crum is widely credited with pioneering the now-common strategy of scheduling tough non-conference match-ups early in the season in order to prepare his teams for March 's NCAA tournament , where one defeat ends the season . Crum 's prolific post-season play and calm demeanor earned him the monikers Mr. March and his most well-known nickname , Cool Hand Luke .
The Louisville Cardinals men 's basketball team is the men 's college basketball program representing the University of Louisville ( U of L ) in the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) of NCAA Division I . The Cardinals have officially won two NCAA championships in 1980 and 1986 ( with the 2013 title being vacated ) ; and have officially been to 8 Final Fours ( with the 2012 and 2013 appearances being vacated ) in 38 official NCAA tournament appearances while compiling 61 tournament wins . Due to an FBI criminal investigation into illegal benefits and actions by college basketball coaches , financial advisers , and others , on September 27 , 2017 , head coach Rick Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich were placed on administrative leave and were later fired . Two days later , assistant David Padgett , a former star player under Pitino at Louisville , was named as acting head coach . On February 20 , 2018 , the NCAA vacated the 2013 NCAA title . On March 27 , 2018 , it was announced that the University of Louisville signed Chris Mack to a seven-year contract as head coach .
The 2002-03 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 10 , 2002 , progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments , and concluded with the 2003 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 7 , 2003 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans , Louisiana . The Syracuse Orange and coach Jim Boeheim won their first NCAA national championship with an 81-78 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks .
Roy Allen Williams ( born August 1 , 1950 ) is an American college basketball coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels . He started his college coaching career at North Carolina as an assistant coach for Dean Smith in 1978 . In 1988 , Williams became the head coach of the men 's basketball team at Kansas , taking them to 14 consecutive NCAA tournaments , four final four appearances , two national championship game appearances , collecting a .805 win percentage and winning nine conference titles over his fifteen-year span . In 2003 , Williams left Kansas to return to his alma mater North Carolina , replacing Matt Doherty as head coach of the Tar Heels . Since returning to North Carolina , Williams has won three national championships , nine Atlantic Coast Conference conference titles , three ACC tournament championships , one AP National Coach of the Year award , and two ACC Coach of the Year awards . He is third all-time for most wins at Kansas behind Phog Allen and Bill Self , and second all-time for most wins at North Carolina behind his legendary mentor Dean Smith . On January 25 , 2020 , with a 94-71 win over Miami , Williams reached 880 wins surpassing Smiths 879 win total . With a total of 880 wins to date , Williams has taken his teams to nine Final Fours in his careers at Kansas and North Carolina . He is the only coach in NCAA history to have led two different programs to at least four Final Fours each and the only basketball coach in NCAA history to have 400 or more victories at two NCAA Division 1 schools . He is also tenth all-time in the NCAA for winning percentage among men 's college basketball coaches . In 29 of his 31 seasons as a head coach , Williams has coached his teams to at least 20 or more wins . The other two seasons ( his first year at Kansas , and his first year at North Carolina ) he coached each of those teams to 19 wins .
The Kansas Jayhawks men 's basketball program is the intercollegiate men 's basketball program of the University of Kansas . The program is classified in the NCAA 's Division I and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference . Kansas is considered one of the most prestigious college basketball programs in the country with 5 overall claimed National Championships ( 3 NCAA Tournament championships , 2 Helms National Championships ) , as well being a National Runner-Up six times and having the most conference titles in the nation . Kansas is the all-time consecutive conference titles record holder with 14 consecutive titles , a streak that ran from 2005 through 2018 . The Jayhawks also own the NCAA record for most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with an active streak of 30 consecutive appearances . Another notable active streak for the Jayhawks is they have been ranked in the AP poll for 211 consecutive polls , a streak that has stretched from the poll released on February 2 , 2009 poll through the poll released on January 13 , 2020 , which is the longest active streak in the nation . That streak is 10 behind UCLA 's record run of 221 straight from 1966-1980 . The Jayhawks ' first coach was the inventor of the game of basketball , James Naismith . Naismith , ironically , is the only coach in Kansas basketball history with a losing record . The Kansas basketball program has produced many notable professional players , including Clyde Lovellette , Wilt Chamberlain , Jo Jo White , Danny Manning , Raef LaFrentz , Paul Pierce , Nick Collison , Kirk Hinrich , Mario Chalmers , Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid . Politician Bob Dole also played basketball at Kansas . Former players that have gone on to be coaches include Phog Allen , Adolph Rupp , Dean Smith , Dutch Lonborg , and former assistants to go on to be notable coaches include John Calipari , Gregg Popovich , and Bill Self .
The 2003-04 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 10 , 2003 , progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments , and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 5 , 2004 at the Alamodome in San Antonio , Texas . The Connecticut Huskies won their second NCAA national championship with an 82-73 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets .
Michael John Montgomery ( born February 27 , 1947 ) is a retired American basketball coach . He is best known for his 18-year tenure at Stanford ( 1986-2004 ) , where he led the program to 12 NCAA Tournaments , including a Final Four appearance in 1998 . Montgomery previously served as head coach at the Montana ( 1978-1986 ) . Following his time at Stanford , he coached the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) for two seasons ( 2004-2006 ) before ending his career at the University of California ( 2008-2014 ) . He announced his retirement from coaching following the 2013-14 season . Over his 32-year collegiate coaching career , Montgomery made 16 NCAA Tournaments , captured 6 conference championships , and amassed nearly 700 victories . He also led Stanford to the NIT championship in 1991 .
The Stanford Cardinal men 's basketball team represents Stanford University in Stanford , California , United States . The school 's team currently competes in the Pac-12 Conference . They are coached by Jerod Haase and play their home games at Maples Pavilion . Stanford began varsity intercollegiate competition in men 's basketball in 1914 . The Cardinal have won 13 conference championships ( 8 in the PCC and 5 in the Pac-10 ) , the last in 2004 , and one NCAA championship , in 1942 . Stanford was also retroactively recognized as the pre-NCAA Tournament national champion for the 1936-37 season by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll and the Helms Athletic Foundation . The team last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2014 .
The 2004-05 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 10 , 2004 , progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments , and concluded with the 2005 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 4 , 2005 at the Edward Jones Dome in Saint Louis , Missouri . The North Carolina Tar Heels won their fourth NCAA national championship with a 75-70 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini .
James A. Calhoun ( born May 10 , 1942 ) is the men 's basketball coach for the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford , Connecticut . Calhoun is the former head coach of the University of Connecticut men 's basketball team . His teams won three NCAA national championships ( 1999 , 2004 , 2011 ) , played in four Final Fours ( most recently in 2011 ) , won the 1988 NIT title , and seven Big East tournament championships ( 1990 , 1996 , 1998 , 1999 , 2002 , 2004 , 2011 ) . With his team 's 2011 NCAA title win , the 68-year-old Calhoun became the oldest coach to win a Division I men 's basketball title . He won his 800th game in 2009 and finished his NCAA Division I career with 873 victories , ranking 11th all-time as of Feb. 2019 . Calhoun is one of only six coaches in NCAA Division I history to win three or more championships and is widely considered one of the greatest coaches of all time . In 2005 , he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame .
The UConn Huskies men 's basketball program is the intercollegiate men 's basketball team of the University of Connecticut , in Storrs , Connecticut . They currently play in the American Athletic Conference ( The American ) and are coached by Dan Hurley . The Huskies have won 4 NCAA Tournament Championships ( 1999 , 2004 , 2011 and 2014 ) , which puts the program at sixth-most all-time . The Huskies are tied for the most Big East Tournament Championships with Georgetown at seven each . The Huskies also have the most Big East regular season titles with ten and one American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship . Numerous players have gone on to achieve professional success after their time at UConn , including Cliff Robinson , Ray Allen , Richard Hamilton , Kemba Walker , Ben Gordon , Emeka Okafor , Caron Butler , Jeremy Lamb , Andre Drummond , Shabazz Napier , and Rudy Gay . The Huskies have participated in 5 NCAA Final Fours ( tied for 13th all time ) and appeared in the NCAA tournament 33 times . The team has been a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament 5 times , most recently in 2009 .
The 2005-06 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 6 , 2005 , progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments , and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3 , 2006 , at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis , Indiana . The Florida Gators won their first NCAA national championship with a 73-56 victory over the UCLA Bruins . This was the final Final Four site at the RCA Dome . The Final Four will return to the city of Indianapolis , but will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium .
James Arthur Boeheim ( /ˈbeɪhaɪm/ BAY-hyme ; born November 17 , 1944 ) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Syracuse Orange men 's team of the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . Boeheim has guided the Orange to ten Big East regular season championships , five Big East Tournament championships , and 34 NCAA Tournament appearances , including five Final Four appearances and three appearances in the national title game . In those games , the Orange lost to Indiana in 1987 on a last-second jump shot by Keith Smart , and to Kentucky in 1996 , before defeating Kansas in 2003 with All-American Carmelo Anthony . Boeheim served as an assistant coach for the United States men 's national basketball team at the 1990 FIBA World Championship , the 2006 FIBA World Championship , the 2008 Summer Olympics , the 2010 FIBA World Championship , the 2012 Summer Olympics , and the 2016 Summer Olympics . In addition , Boeheim has served as the chairman of the USA Basketball 2009-12 Men 's Junior National Committee , as well as the 2007-08 President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches ( NABC ) , where he currently serves on the board of directors . Boeheim was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2005 . As a result of the Syracuse athletics scandal , in 2015 the NCAA vacated 101 of his wins . Boeheim originally announced that he would retire in March 2018 . However , following the departure of his long-time assistant coach and expected successor Mike Hopkins , Boeheim extended his contract with Syracuse beyond 2017 for an unknown period . After suffering from cancer in 2001 , Boeheim and his wife founded the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation , which is devoted to child welfare , cancer treatment , and prevention .
The Syracuse Orange men 's basketball program is an intercollegiate men 's basketball team representing Syracuse University . The program is classified in the Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) , and the team competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . Syracuse is considered one of the most prestigious college basketball programs in the country with 3 overall claimed National Championships and 1 NCAA Tournament championship , as well being a National Runner-up 2 times and currently holding an active NCAA-record of 49 consecutive winning seasons . Syracuse is ranked sixth in total victories among all NCAA Division I programs and seventh in all-time win percentage among programs with at least 50 years in Division I , with an all-time win-loss record of 2008-908† ( .689 ) as of March 20 , 2019 . The Orange are also sixth in NCAA Tournament appearances ( 40 ) , seventh in NCAA Tournament victories ( 68† ) , and eighth in Final Four appearances ( 6 ) . The Orange play their home games at the Carrier Dome . The Carrier Dome is the largest arena in NCAA DI basketball with a maximum capacity of 35,446 . Syracuse 's home court total attendance has led the nation 25 times , and its per-game season average attendance has been ranked first 14 times since the opening of the Carrier Dome in 1980 . The most recent record-breaking game was against Duke in 2019 with the crowd of 35,642 people . The Carrier Dome is often considered one of the best home court advantages in college basketball . In its 42nd year under current head coach Jim Boeheim , the team has compiled an all-time record 38 20-win seasons , including 10 Big East regular season championships , 5 Big East Tournament championships , 34 NCAA Tournament appearances ( and 40 all-time ) , and 3 appearances in the national title game . In 2015 , after a lengthy investigation , the NCAA 's Committee on Infractions ordered Syracuse to vacate 101 wins from five different seasons .
The 2006-07 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 7 , 2006 , progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments , and concluded with the 2007 NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2 , 2007 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta , Georgia . The Florida Gators successfully defended their national championship with an 84-75 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes .
Lloyd Eugene Keady ( born May 21 , 1936 ) is an American basketball coach . Most recently an assistant coach at St. John 's University , he is most notable for being the head men 's basketball coach at Purdue University for 25 years , from 1980 to 2005 .
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference . Purdue basketball has the most Big Ten Championships with 24 . The Boilermakers have reached two NCAA Tournament Final Fours . The 1931-32 team was retroactively named the national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll . Purdue has sent more than 30 players to the NBA , including two overall No . 1 picks in the NBA draft . Purdue shares a traditional rivalry with in-state foe Indiana University , and leads the series 122-89 .
Patricia Susan Summitt ( née Head ; June 14 , 1952 - June 28 , 2016 ) was an American women 's college basketball head coach who accrued 1,098 career wins , the most in college basketball history upon her retirement . She served as the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012 , before retiring at age 59 after receiving a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer 's disease . She won eight NCAA championships ( an NCAA women 's record when she retired and the third most all time ) . Summitt won a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal as a member of the United States women 's national basketball team . She returned to the Olympics in 1984 as a head coach , guiding the U.S. women 's basketball team to a gold medal . She was named the Naismith Basketball Coach of the Century in 2000 . In 2009 , the Sporting News placed her at number 11 on its list of the 50 Greatest Coaches of All Time in all sports ; she was the only woman on the list . In 38 years as a coach , she never had a losing season . Summitt was inducted in the inaugural class at the Women 's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 . In 2012 , Summitt was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2012 ESPY Awards . Summitt wrote three books , all with co-author Sally Jenkins : Reach for the Summitt , which is part motivational book and part biography ; Raise the Roof , about the Lady Vols ' 1997-1998 undefeated and NCAA-championship winning season ; and Sum It Up , covering her life including her experience being diagnosed and living with Alzheimer 's disease .
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville , Tennessee in NCAA women 's basketball competition . The team has been a contender for national titles for over thirty years , having made every NCAA Women 's Division I Basketball Championship tournament since the NCAA began sanctioning women 's sports in the 1981-82 season . The team is more frequently referred to as the Lady Vols ; the formal Volunteers nickname is regularly shortened by many fans of both men 's and women 's teams to Vols , and sports media in the U.S. more commonly refer to Tennessee women 's teams by the shortened version . The university considers either Lady Volunteers or Lady Vols acceptable . The Lady Vols have won at least a share of the SEC regular season championship 17 times ( with the most recent occurrence being in 2015 ) , won 17 SEC tournament championships ( with the most recent occurrence being in 2014 ) , made 18 Final Four appearances ( with the most recent occurrence being in 2008 ) , and won 8 national championships ( with the most recent being in 2008 ) .
The 2008-09 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 10 , 2008 , and ended with the 2009 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament 's championship game on April 6 , 2009 , at Ford Field in Detroit , Michigan . The season saw six different teams achieve the AP # 1 ranking during the year ( just one shy of the NCAA record ) . Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin was the dominant individual performer , sweeping National Player of the Year honors . The season began with North Carolina becoming the first unanimous preseason # 1 team , and ended with the Tar Heels dominating the NCAA tournament en route to their fifth NCAA title . UNC won its six NCAA tournament games by double digits , and by an average of 19.8 points per game . Junior Wayne Ellington was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player .
Richard Dale Barnes ( born July 17 , 1954 ) is a men 's college basketball head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . Barnes coached the Texas Longhorns from 1998 to 2015 , taking the team to the NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament in 16 of his 17 seasons , including 14 straight from 1999 to 2012 , as well as a Final Four appearance led by T. J. Ford in 2003 . Barnes previously coached at George Mason University , Providence College , and Clemson University . He has an overall record of 24-24 ( .500 ) in the NCAA tournament ( including 19-16 while at Texas ) .
The Texas Longhorns men 's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I intercollegiate men 's basketball competition . The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference . The University of Texas began varsity intercollegiate competition in men 's basketball in 1906 . The Longhorns rank 18th in total victories among all NCAA Division I college basketball programs and 25th in all-time win percentage among programs with at least 60 years in Division I , with an all-time win-loss record of 1791-1088 ( .622 ) . Among Big 12 Conference men 's basketball programs , Texas is second only to Kansas in both all-time wins and all-time win percentage . The Longhorns have won 27 total conference championships in men 's basketball and have made 34 total appearances in the NCAA Tournament ( 11th-most appearances all time , with a 35-37 overall record ) , reaching the NCAA Final Four three times ( 1943 , 1947 , 2003 ) and the NCAA Regional Finals ( Elite Eight ) seven times . As of the end of the 2017-18 season , Texas ranks sixth among all Division I men 's basketball programs for total NCAA Tournament games won without having won the national championship ( 35 ) , trailing Kansas State ( 37 ) , Notre Dame ( 38 ) , Purdue ( 39 ) , Illinois ( 40 ) , and Oklahoma ( 41 ) . The Texas basketball program experienced substantial success during the early decades of its existence , but its success in the modern era is of relatively recent vintage . After two losing seasons during the program 's first five years , Texas suffered only one losing season from 1912 to 1950 , achieving a winning percentage of .703 during that span , reaching two Final Fours and one Elite Eight during the first decade of the NCAA Tournament , and receiving retroactive recognition as the 1933 national champion from the Premo-Porretta Power Poll ; from 1951 to 1988 , the Longhorns finished with losing records 14 times , recorded a winning percentage of .522 , and participated in the expanded Tournament only five times . Texas achieved some measures of national recognition during the tenures of head coaches Abe Lemons ( 1976-82 ) and Tom Penders ( 1988-98 ) , but the program rose to its highest level of prominence under the direction of former head coach Rick Barnes ( 1998-2015 ) . Barnes guided Texas to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances in his 17 seasons with the program , including a school-record fourteen consecutive appearances ( 1999-2012 ) , as well as fifteen 20-win seasons overall and a school-best thirteen consecutive 20-win seasons ( 2000-12 ) . Since 1977 , the team has played its home games in the Frank Erwin Special Events Center , where it has compiled a record of 507-126 ( .801 ) as of January 7 , 2019 .
The 2009-10 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 9 , 2009 , and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament 's championship game on April 5 , 2010 , on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis . The opening round occurred on Tuesday , March 16 , 2010 , followed by first and second rounds on Thursday through Sunday , March 18-21 , 2010 . Regional games were played on Thursday through Sunday , March 25-28 , 2010 , with the Final Four played on Saturday and Monday , April 3 and 5 , 2010 .
William John Donovan Jr. ( born May 30 , 1965 ) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . He previously spent 19 seasons at the University of Florida , where his Florida Gators teams won back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007 . Donovan has more wins than any other coach in the history of the Florida basketball program , and he coached the Gators to more NCAA tournament appearances , NCAA tournament wins , and Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) championships than all other Florida coaches combined . Donovan was born and raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island , New York . As the starting point guard for Rick Pitino 's Providence team , Donovan led the Friars to the 1987 Final Four . As such , he is one of only four men ( Dean Smith , Joe B . Hall and Bobby Knight being the others ) to appear in the NCAA Final Four as a player and win the NCAA national championship as a coach . After college , Donovan spent the 1987-88 and 1988-89 basketball seasons split between the developmental Continental Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association 's New York Knicks , who were led by his college coach , Rick Pitino . Donovan left professional basketball in 1989 , and briefly worked as a Wall Street stock broker before following Pitino to his new job at the University of Kentucky . Donovan served as an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats men 's basketball from 1989 to 1993 under Pitino , working his way from serving as a graduate assistant to Pitino 's top assistant . He accepted his first head coaching position at Marshall University in 1994 and led the Thundering Herd to a 35-20 record over two seasons . Donovan was hired to revive Florida 's basketball program in 1996 .
The Florida Gators men 's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball . The Gators compete in NCAA Division I 's Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) . Home games are played in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on the university 's Gainesville , Florida campus . The University of Florida 's first basketball team took the court in 1915 , but success was scarce for many years . The program did not have an adequate gymnasium until the Florida Gymnasium in 1950 , did not hire a full-time basketball coach until Norm Sloan in 1960 , and did not play in a modern arena until the O'Connell Center opened in 1980 . Florida made its first postseason tournament appearance in the 1969 National Invitation Tournament and first appeared in the NCAA tournament in 1987 , but consistent success was elusive , and the Gators often found themselves in the bottom half of the conference standings . Florida 's basketball program finally found consistent success under head coach Billy Donovan , who was hired in 1996 . In nineteen years as Florida 's coach , Donovan led the program to seven of its eight Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) regular season championships , all four SEC tournament championships , fourteen of twenty-two NCAA Tournament appearances , four out of five Final Four appearances , and back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007 . Florida 's head coach since 2015 has been Mike White , who has led the Gators to three NCAA Tournament bids in his first four seasons at the school .
The 2010-11 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 8 , 2010 with the preliminary games of the 2010 Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic , and ended with the 2011 NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament 's championship game on April 4 , 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston . The tournament 's first-round games occurred March 15-16 , 2011 in Dayton , followed by second and third rounds on Thursday through Sunday , March 17-20 , 2011 . Regionals games will be played on Thursday through Sunday , March 24-27 , 2011 , with the Final Four played on Saturday and Monday , April 2 and 4 , 2011 .
Tom Izzo ( /ˈɪzoʊ/ , Italian pronunciation : [ ˈittso ] ) ; born January 30 , 1955 ) , is an American college basketball coach who has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995 . On April 4 , 2016 , Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame . Under Izzo , Michigan State has been a successful collegiate basketball program , earning him the nickname of Mr March by some on account of his past success in the NCAA Tournament . Izzo has led the Spartans to the 2000 NCAA Division I National Championship , the 2009 NCAA National Championship Game , eight Final Fours , nine Big Ten championships , and six Big Ten Tournament championships in his 24 years at Michigan State . The coach with the most wins in school history , Izzo 's teams have earned invitations to 22 consecutive NCAA tournaments , and his teams have never had a losing season . In addition , MSU set the Big Ten record for the longest home court winning streak . These accomplishments led analyst Andy Katz at ESPN to deem Michigan State the top college basketball program for the decade from 1998 to 2007 . Izzo is currently the longest-tenured coach in the Big Ten Conference , and his teams are often recognized for their rebounding prowess and defensive tenacity . He has won four national coach of the year awards and maintains a considerable coaching tree - several of his former assistants are currently head coaches at other Division I schools . Izzo has won nine regular-season conference titles , tied for the third most in conference history . He has also won the most Big Ten Tournament titles ( six ) in conference history . Izzo is second all-time in Big Ten wins ( 297 through 2020 ) , trailing only Bob Knight .
The Michigan State Spartans men 's basketball team represents Michigan State University ( MSU ) and compete in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I College basketball . Their home games are played at the Breslin Student Events Center . Tom Izzo has been the head coach since 1995 . The Spartans have won two NCAA championships and 15 Big Ten Conference Championships . Their two National Championships came in the 1979 NCAA Tournament and the 2000 NCAA Tournament . The 1979 National Championship Game was the most watched college basketball game in history , with 35.11 million television viewers . The 1979 National Championship team was coached by Jud Heathcote and included tournament MVP Magic Johnson , Greg Kelser and Jay Vincent . The Spartans defeated the previously unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores , led by future Hall of Famer Larry Bird . The 2000 National Championship team defeated the Florida Gators men 's basketball team in the final . The team was coached by Tom Izzo and led by players Morris Peterson , Charlie Bell , Jason Richardson and tournament MVP Mateen Cleaves . The Spartans have participated in 33 NCAA tournaments and in 22 consecutive NCAA tournaments ( 1998-2019 ) , the fourth-longest streak ever and third-longest active streak in college basketball , behind Kansas ( 29 ) and Duke ( 23 ) . Michigan State has the sixth most all-time Final Four appearances with ten ( 1957 , 1979 , 1999 , 2000 , 2001 , 2005 , 2009 , 2010 , 2015 , and 2019 ) .
Luigi Geno Auriemma ( born March 23 , 1954 ) is an Italian-born American college basketball coach and the head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women 's basketball team . He has led UConn to eleven NCAA Division I national championships , the most in women 's college basketball history , and has won eight national Naismith College Coach of the Year awards . Auriemma was the head coach of the United States women 's national basketball team from 2009 through 2016 , during which time his teams won the 2010 and 2014 World Championships , and gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics , going undefeated in all four tournaments . Auriemma was inducted into the Women 's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 .
The UConn Huskies women 's basketball team is the college basketball program representing the University of Connecticut in Storrs , Connecticut , in NCAA Division I women 's basketball competition . They currently play in the American Athletic Conference , though the Huskies will leave that league after the 2019-20 school year to join the Big East Conference . The UConn Huskies are the most successful women 's basketball program in the nation , having won a record 11 NCAA Division I National Championships and a women 's record four in a row , from 2013 through 2016 , plus over 40 conference regular season and tournament championships . They have taken part in every NCAA Tournament since 1989 ; as of the end of the 2018-19 season , this is the third-longest active streak in Division I. UConn owns the two longest winning streaks ( men 's or women 's ) in college basketball history . The longest streak , 111 straight wins , started with a win against Creighton on November 23 , 2014 , and ended on March 31 , 2017 when a buzzer-beater at the end of overtime caused a 66-64 loss in the 2017 NCAA Final Four to Mississippi State . The second streak counts 90 consecutive wins , including two undefeated seasons ( 2008-09 and 2009-10 ) , and was delimited by two losses against Stanford , the first on April 6 , 2008 in the National Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament , and the second - three seasons later - on December 19 , 2010 . The Huskies also own the longest winning streak in regular-season games in college history ; after an overtime loss to Stanford on November 17 , 2014 , they won their next 126 regular-season games until a 68-57 loss to Baylor on January 3 , 2019 . UConn 's current head coach is Luigi Geno Auriemma , who joined the team in 1985 . Coach Auriemma is one of the best coaches in college basketball : his 1080-140 ( .885 ) record as of January 2020 [ update ] represents the highest winning percentage among NCAA basketball coaches ( minimum 10 seasons ) , any level , men 's or women 's , while ranking him third in all-time women 's wins behind former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and current Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer . UConn has also been one of the leaders in women 's basketball attendance ; the team plays its home games at both the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs and the XL Center in Hartford .
The 2012-13 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began in November with the 2K Sports Classic and ended with the Final Four in Atlanta , April 6-8 .
Billy Eugene Self Jr. ( born December 27 , 1962 ) is the NCAA Division-1 men 's college basketball coach at the University of Kansas . During his 16 seasons as head coach , he 's led the Jayhawks to at least a share of an NCAA record 14 straight Big 12 regular season championships ( 2005-2018 ) , three NCAA Final Four appearances ( 2008 , 2012 , 2018 ) , and the 2008 NCAA championship . Self was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2017 . Self , as of the end of the 2018-19 season , has the 23rd most wins among Division I coaches in NCAA History and 8th among active head coaches . As coach at Kansas , Self has a record of 202-11 ( .957 win percentage ) at historic Allen Fieldhouse . In his tenure at Kansas , Self has had 3 home winning streaks of more than 30 wins including a school-record and 11th-best all-time 69 game streak . During his tenure at Kansas , he has recruited several McDonald 's All-Americans to Kansas , including Mario Chalmers , Darrell Arthur , Xavier Henry , Andrew Wiggins , Cliff Alexander , Wayne Selden Jr. , Cheick Diallo , and Josh Jackson . Under Self , Kansas rarely loses consecutive games , only thirteen times since taking over . Self is 96-13 following a loss at Kansas and has only had two three game losing streaks and has never lost more than three games in a row . Selfs teams at Kansas are also consistently ranked . As of February 8 , 2020 , Kansas has only played 38 of his 602 games as head coach unranked . Self has implemented a strong hi-lo motion offense using size as an advantage in the paint , and a pressing man to man defense on all his teams from his early coaching days at the University of Tulsa through the present .
The 2013-14 NCAA Division I women 's basketball season began in November and ended with the Final Four in Nashville , Tennessee April 6-8 .
Tara Ann VanDerveer ( born June 26 , 1953 ) is an American basketball coach who has been the head women 's basketball coach at Stanford University since 1985 . Designated the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women 's Basketball , VanDerveer led the Stanford Cardinal to two NCAA Women 's Division I Basketball Championships : in 1990 and 1992 . She stepped away from the Stanford program for a year to serve as the U.S. national team head coach at the 1996 Olympic Games . VanDerveer is the 1990 Naismith National Coach of the Year and a ten-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year . She is also one of only nine NCAA Women 's Basketball coaches to win over 900 games , and one of ten NCAA Division I coaches - men 's or women 's - to win 1,000 games . Van Derveer was inducted into the Women 's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 .
The Stanford Cardinal women 's basketball team represents Stanford University , located in Stanford , California . The school 's team currently competes in the Pac-12 Conference and are coached by Tara VanDerveer , in her 34th season with the Cardinal . The Cardinal won national championships in 1990 and 1992 , and were runners-up in 2008 and 2010 .
The 2014-15 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began in November with the 2K Sports Classic and ended with the Final Four in Indianapolis April 4-6 . Practices officially began on October 3 .
Stephen Louis Fisher ( born March 24 , 1945 ) is a retired American basketball coach . Fisher has served as the head coach at the University of Michigan , where he won the national championship in 1989 , and was an assistant at Michigan , Western Michigan University , and the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association . From 1999 to 2017 , Fisher was head coach at San Diego State . Fisher attended Illinois State University , where he helped lead the Redbirds to the Final Four of the 1967 NCAA College Division Basketball Tournament .
The San Diego State Aztecs men 's basketball team is the college basketball program that represents San Diego State University , located in San Diego , California . The school 's team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference , and play their home games in Viejas Arena . The team began play in 1921 and have been to 6 NAIA tournaments winning in 1941 , 3 NCAA Division II tournaments , 5 NIT tournaments , and 12 NCAA Division I tournaments . Since joining the Mountain West Conference , the Aztecs have won 5 MWC tournaments . Former players who went on to achieve notable success in other areas are Art Linkletter and Tony Gwynn .
The 2015-16 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 13 . The first tournament was the 2K Sports Classic and ended with the Final Four in Houston April 2-4 . Practices officially began on October 2 .
Orlando Henry Tubby Smith ( born June 30 , 1951 ) is an American college basketball coach . He is the men 's basketball coach at High Point University , his alma mater . Smith previously served in the same role at the University of Tulsa , the University of Georgia , the University of Kentucky , the University of Minnesota , Texas Tech University , and the University of Memphis . With Kentucky , he coached the Wildcats to the 1998 NCAA championship . In his 28 years as a head coach , Smith has achieved 26 winning seasons . In 2005 , he joined Roy Williams , Nolan Richardson , Denny Crum , and Jim Boeheim as the only head coaches to win 365 games in 15 seasons or fewer . With Texas Tech 's invitation to the 2016 NCAA Tournament , Smith became only the second coach in history to lead five different teams to the NCAA tournament . Smith 's three sons are following in their father 's coaching footsteps . G.G . Smith , who played for his father at the University of Georgia , was formerly the head coach at Loyola ( Md ) , and is currently the associate head coach at High Point . His middle son Saul Smith played for his father at the University of Kentucky and was an assistant coach for his father at Memphis . Brian , his youngest son , was a point guard at Ole Miss and is the head coach at Saint John Paul II Academy in Boca Raton , Florida .
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in basketball . Texas Tech competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association ( NCAA ) , and as a charter member of the Big 12 Conference , since its first season in 1996 . The team previously competed in the Border Conference and Southwest Conference . The team was founded in 1925 , having since won 12 regular season conference championships , 5 postseason conference championships , and made 17 appearances in the NCAA Tournament as of the 2018-19 season . The Red Raiders have played their home games at the United Supermarkets Arena since 1999 on the university 's campus in Lubbock , Texas . Chris Beard , the team 's 17th head coach , has led the Red Raiders since the 2016-17 season .
The 2016-17 NCAA Division I women 's basketball season began on November 11 , 2016 and ended with the Final Four title game in Dallas on April 2 , 2017 , won by South Carolina . Practices officially began on September 30 , 2016 .
Ann Muffet McGraw ( born December 5 , 1955 ) is an American basketball coach , currently the head women 's basketball coach at Notre Dame , where she has compiled a 905-272 ( .769 ) record over 32 seasons . She has led her team to nine Final Fours ( 1997 , 2001 , 2011 , 2012 , 2013 , 2014 , 2015 , 2018 and 2019 ) , seven championship game appearances ( 2001 , 2011 , 2012 , 2014 , 2015 , 2018 , and 2019 ) , and two National Championships in 2001 and 2018 . McGraw was born in Pottsville , Pennsylvania . She graduated from Saint Joseph 's University and briefly played professionally for the California Dreams of the Women 's Professional Basketball League . She coached at Archbishop Carroll HS from 1977 to 1979 , and worked as an assistant coach at Saint Joseph 's from 1980 to 1982 . From 1982 to 1987 she was head coach at Lehigh University where one of her notable players was Cathy Engelbert . She became head coach at Notre Dame in 1987 . Since then , McGraw has led the Irish to 24 NCAA tournament appearances including a current streak of 22 straight . In the current streak , Notre Dame made it to the second round in all but one of the appearances . McGraw has compiled 50 wins over ranked opponents , including 40 over the last 8 seasons . Her teams appeared in the AP poll 139 times during her tenure . Notre Dame finished in the Top 3 of the Big East in 9 out of the 11 seasons they were in the league and finished in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference in all 4 seasons since they entered the conference .
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish women 's basketball team is the intercollegiate women 's basketball program representing University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame , Indiana . The program currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I . The Fighting Irish play their home games in the Purcell Pavilion at the Edmund P. Joyce Center , and are currently coached by Muffet McGraw .
The 2017-18 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season began on November 10 , 2017 . The first tournament was the 2K Sports Classic and the season ended with the Final Four in San Antonio on April 2 , 2018 . Practices officially began on September 29 , 2017 .
Jerold Taylor Jay Wright Jr. ( born December 24 , 1961 ) is an American college basketball coach . He is currently the men 's head coach at Villanova University , a position he has held since 2001 . He previously served as head coach at Hofstra University ( 1994-2001 ) , leading the program to NCAA Tournament appearances in both 2000 and 2001 . Wright has led the Villanova Wildcats to six Big East conference championships and 14 NCAA Tournament appearances in his 18 seasons as head coach . Wright took Villanova to the Final Four in 2009 . Wright then led Villanova to the 2016 NCAA Championship , defeating North Carolina . In addition to the 2016 championship , Wright and Villanova also won the 2018 NCAA Championship . Wright is widely regarded to be one of the best coaches in the NCAA currently . [ citation needed ]
Villanova University 's men 's college basketball team competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I . Their first season was the 1920-21 season . Named the Wildcats , Villanova is a member of the Philadelphia Big Five , five Philadelphia college basketball teams who share a passionate rivalry . The Wildcats have won the National Championship three times : 1985 , 2016 , and 2018 . Their 1985 NCAA championship as an 8 seed still stands as the lowest seed ever to win the title . The game is referred to as The Perfect Game as they shot a record 78.6% as a team for the game ( 22 for 28 , including 9 for 10 in the second half ) . Their 2016 NCAA Championship , is referred to as The Perfect Ending and is one of only two NCAA Men 's Championship game to be won on a buzzer beater , as Kris Jenkins drained a shot as time expired . They made the Final Four in 1939 , 1971 , 1985 , 2009 , 2016 , and 2018 ; their six Final Four appearances are 13th most all-time . As of 2019 , they have an NCAA Tournament record of 65-37 ( .637 ) . Villanova has defeated six No . 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament ( Michigan and Georgetown in 1985 , Pittsburgh in 2009 , Kansas and North Carolina in 2016 , and Kansas in 2018 ) , which is sixth most all-time . The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 39 times , the eighth highest total in NCAA history .