List of Providence Friars men's basketball seasons

Syracuse vs. Providence in February 2010 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

This is a list of the seasons completed by the Providence Friars men's basketball team.

Providence has fielded a men's college basketball team since 1926. The team played as an independent until 1979, when it became a charter member of the original Big East Conference. Providence was among seven schools to leave the original Big East in 2013 to become charter members of a new Big East Conference.[Note A]

From 1975 to 1978, during four of the five seasons immediately preceding the formation of the original Big East Conference, Providence took part in the Eastern College Athletic Conference's regional Division I ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments for schools which played as independents during the regular season. These tournaments gave colleges and universities in the Northeastern United States which otherwise did not have one access to a tournament with an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament. Each ECAC regional tournament champion received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament. Providence qualified for the ECAC New England Region Tournament in each season from 1975 to 1978, but never won the tournament championship. The Friars did not qualify for the ECAC Tournament in 1979.[1][2][3][4][5]

Although Providence never won the regular-season championship in the original Big East Conference of 1979–2013, it won the tournament championship in 1994. In the new Big East Conference, it won the tournament championship in 2014 and the regular-season championship in the 2021–22 season.

Providence has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 22 times, reaching the Final Four in 1973 and 1987.

Providence has made 21 appearances in the National Invitation Tournament, winning it in 1961 and 1963. It has made one appearance in the NAIA tournament

Seasons

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Archie Golembeski (Independent) (1926–1927)
1926–27 Archie Golembeski 8–8
Archie Golembeski: 8–8
Al McClellan (Independent) (1927–1938)
1927–28 Al McClellan 7–9
1928–29 Al McClellan 17–3 [Note B]
1929–30 Al McClellan 15–4 [Note B]
1930–31 Al McClellan 14–5
1931–32 Al McClellan 19–5 [Note B]
1932–33 Al McClellan 13–3
1933–34 Al McClellan 12–5
1934–35 Al McClellan 17–5 [Note B]
1935–36 Al McClellan 14–7
1936–37 Al McClellan 12–10
1937–38 Al McClellan 7–9
Al McClellan: 147–65
Ed Crotty (Independent) (1938–1943)
1938–39 Ed Crotty 4–7
1939–40 Ed Crotty 5–9
1940–41 Ed Crotty 11–6
1941–42 Ed Crotty 13–7
1942–43 Ed Crotty 15–5
Program suspended for World War II (1943–1944)
Ed Crotty (Independent) (1944–1946)
1944–45 Ed Crotty 5–7
1945–46 Ed Crotty 5–12
Ed Crotty: 58–53
Lawrence Drew (Independent) (1946–1949)
1946–47 Lawrence Drew 8–11
1947–48 Lawrence Drew 10–10
1948–49 Lawrence Drew 7–9
Lawrence Drew: 25–30
Vin Cuddy (Independent) (1949–1955)
1949–50 Vin Cuddy 14–9
1950–51 Vin Cuddy 14–10 NAIA First Round
1951–52 Vin Cuddy 14–9
1952–53 Vin Cuddy 11–11
1953–54 Vin Cuddy 13–13
1954–55 Vin Cuddy 9–12
Vin Cuddy: 75–64
Joe Mullaney (Independent) (1955–1969)
1955–56 Joe Mullaney 14–8
1956–57 Joe Mullaney 15–9
1957–58 Joe Mullaney 18–6
1958–59 Joe Mullaney 20–7 NIT Semifinals
1959–60 Joe Mullaney 24–5 NIT Runner-Up
1960–61 Joe Mullaney 24–5 NIT Champion
1961–62 Joe Mullaney 20–6 NIT First Round
1962–63 Joe Mullaney 24–4 NIT Champion
1963–64 Joe Mullaney 20–6 NCAA University Division First Round
1964–65 Joe Mullaney 24–2 NCAA University Division Elite Eight
1965–66 Joe Mullaney 22–5 NCAA University Division First Round
1966–67 Joe Mullaney 21–7 NIT Quarterfinals
1967–68 Joe Mullaney 11–14
1968–69 Joe Mullaney 14–10
Joe Mullaney (1955–69): 271–94
Dave Gavitt (Independent) (1969–1979)
1969–70 Dave Gavitt 14–11
1970–71 Dave Gavitt 20–8 NIT Quarterfinals
1971–72 Dave Gavitt 21–6 NCAA University Division First Round
1972–73 Dave Gavitt 27–4 NCAA University Division Final Four
1973–74 Dave Gavitt 28–4 NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen
1974–75 Dave Gavitt 20–11 [Note C] NIT Runner-Up
1975–76 Dave Gavitt 21–11 [Note C] NIT Semifinals
1976–77 Dave Gavitt 24–5 [Note C] NCAA Division I First Round
1977–78 Dave Gavitt 24–8 [Note C] NCAA Division I First Round
1978–79 Dave Gavitt 10–16 [Note C]
Dave Gavitt: 209–84
Gary Walters (Big East Conference (original)) (1979–1981)
1979–80 Gary Walters 11–16 0–6 7th
1980–81 Gary Walters 10–18 3–11 8th
Gary Walters: 21–34 3–17
Joe Mullaney (Big East Conference (original)) (1981–1985)
1981–82 Joe Mullaney 10–17 2–12 T-7th
1982–83 Joe Mullaney 12–19 4–12 8th
1983–84 Joe Mullaney 15–14 5–11 T-7th
1984–85 Joe Mullaney 11–20 3–13 8th
Joe Mullaney (1981–85): 48–70 14–48
Joe Mullaney (overall): 319–164 14–48
Rick Pitino (Big East Conference (original)) (1985–1987)
1985–86 Rick Pitino 17–14 7–9 5th NIT Quarterfinals
1986–87 Rick Pitino 25–9 10–6 T-4th NCAA Division I Final Four
Rick Pitino: 42–23 17–15
Gordie Chiesa (Big East Conference (original)) (1987–1988)
1987–88 Gordie Chiesa 11–17 5–11 8th
Gordie Chiesa: 11–17 5–11
Rick Barnes (Big East Conference (original)) (1988–1994)
1988–89 Rick Barnes 18–11 7–9 T-5th NCAA Division I First Round
1989–90 Rick Barnes 17–12 8–8 T-5th NCAA Division I First Round
1990–91 Rick Barnes 19–13 7–9 T-7th NIT Quarterfinals
1991–92 Rick Barnes 14–17 6–12 9th
1992–93 Rick Barnes 20–13 9–9 T-4th NIT Semifinals
1993–94 Rick Barnes 20–10 10–8 T-4th NCAA Division I First Round
Rick Barnes: 108–76 47–55
Pete Gillen (Big East Conference (original)) (1994–1998)
1994–95 Pete Gillen 17–13 7–11 T-6th NIT Second Round
1995–96 Pete Gillen 18–12 9–9 3rd (BE7)[Note D] NIT Second Round
1996–97 Pete Gillen 24–12 10–8 T-2nd (BE7)[Note D] NCAA Division I Elite Eight
1997–98 Pete Gillen 13–16 7–11 4th (BE7)[Note D]
Pete Gillen: 72–53 33–39
Tim Welsh (Big East Conference (original)) (1998–2008)
1998–99 Tim Welsh 16–14 9–9 T-6th NIT First Round
1999–2000 Tim Welsh 11–19 4–12 12th
2000–01 Tim Welsh 21–10 11–5 2nd (East)[Note E] NCAA Division I First Round
2001–02 Tim Welsh 15–16 6–10 6th (East)[Note E]
2002–03 Tim Welsh 18–14 8–8 T-3rd (East)[Note E] NIT Second Round
2003–04 Tim Welsh 20–9 11–5 T-3rd NCAA Division I First Round
2004–05 Tim Welsh 14–17 4–12 T-8th
2005–06 Tim Welsh 12–15 5–11 T-13th
2006–07 Tim Welsh 18–13 8–8 9th NIT First Round
2007–08 Tim Welsh 6–12 15–16 T-12th
Tim Welsh: 151–139 81–96
Keno Davis (Big East Conference (original)) (2008–2011)
2008–09 Keno Davis 19–14 10–8 T-7th NIT First Round
2009–10 Keno Davis 12–19 4–14 15th
2010–11 Keno Davis 15–17 4–14 14th
Keno Davis: 46–50 18–36
Ed Cooley (Big East Conference (original)) (2011–2013)
2011–12 Ed Cooley 15–17 4–14 13th
2012–13 Ed Cooley 19–15 9–9 T-9th NIT Quarterfinals
Ed Cooley (Big East Conference) (2013–2023)
2013–14 Ed Cooley 23–12 10–8 T-3rd NCAA Division I First Round
2014–15 Ed Cooley 22–12 11–7 4th NCAA Division I First Round
2015–16 Ed Cooley 24–11 10–8 T-4th NCAA Division I Second Round
2016–17 Ed Cooley 20–13 10–8 T-3rd NCAA Division I First Four
2017–18 Ed Cooley 21–14 10–8 T-3rd NCAA Division I First Round
2018–19 Ed Cooley 18–16 7–11 T-8th NIT First Round
2019–20 Ed Cooley 19–12 12–6 4th Postseason cancelled[Note F]
2020–21 Ed Cooley 13–13 9–10 6th
2021–22 Ed Cooley 27–6 14–3 1st NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen
2022–23 Ed Cooley 21–12 13–7 T-4th NCAA Division I First Round
Ed Cooley: 242–153 119–99
Kim English (Big East Conference) (2023–present)
2023–24 Kim English 21–14 10–10 T-6th NIT First Round
Kim English: 21–14 10–10
Total: 1,352–862

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Notes

^A. After Providence and six other schools left the original Big East Conference to form a new Big East Conference in 2013, the original Big East Conference became the American Athletic Conference, marketed as "The American."
^B. Providence was deemed the New England champion in 1929, 1930, 1932, and 1935.
^C. Although an independent at the time, Providence participated from 1975 to 1978 in the end-of-season ECAC tournaments organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (a loosely organized sports federation of Eastern colleges and universities) for ECAC members which otherwise had no access to an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament. Each of these regional tournaments gave its winner an automatic bid to that year's NCAA tournament in the same manner as conference tournaments of conventional conferences. Providence played in the ECAC New England Region Tournament in each of these four seasons, but never won an ECAC tournament championship. Providence did not qualify for the ECAC Tournament in 1979.
^D. From the 1995–1996 through 1997–1998 seasons, the original Big East Conference was divided into the Big East 6 and Big East 7 divisions. Providence played in the Big East 7 Division during all three seasons.
^E. From the 2000–2001 through 2002–2003 seasons, the original Big East Conference was divided into the East and West divisions. Providence played in the East Division during all three seasons.
^F. The 2020 Big East men's basketball tournament was cancelled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Providence had a first-round bye and therefore did not play in the tournament. The 2020 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament and 2020 National Invitation Tournament also were cancelled due to the pandemic.


References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Varsity Pride: 1975 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments
  2. ^ Varsity Pride: 1976 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments
  3. ^ Varsity Pride: 1977 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments
  4. ^ Varsity Pride: 1978 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments
  5. ^ Varsity Pride: 1979 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments

Sources

  • "Providence Friars Men's Basketball School History". reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved February 16, 2024.