The Tulane Green Wave men’s basketball team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The team competes in the American Athletic Conference. They play home games on campus in Devlin Fieldhouse, the ninth-oldest active basketball venue in the nation.[2] The team’s last appearance in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament was in 1995.
Tulane is the only school from the original Metro Conference that remained in the conference through its 1975 founding, the 1991 breakup that saw several schools form the Great Midwest Conference, the 1995 reunification that created today’s Conference USA, and the 2004 realignment of conferences. It rejoined many of its previous conference mates when it became a member of the American Athletic Conference in 2014.
History
Tulane’s men’s basketball team played its first game on December 9, 1905.[3]
In March 1976, the Green Wave enticed Syracuse coach Roy Danforth–one year removed from taking the Orange to their first Final Four–to succeed Charles Moir as Green Wave coach when Moir left for the same position at Virginia Tech.
Danforth’s successor at Syracuse, Jim Boeheim, coached the Orange for the next 47 seasons, winning 1,116 games and the 2003 national championship. Meanwhile, Danforth was fired by Tulane after the 1980-81 season, which included a 119–81 loss to in-state rival LSU.
Danforth’s successor, Ned Fowler, led the Green Wave to a shocking 83–72 victory vs. LSU at Baton Rouge in the first round of the 1982 NIT. Tulane went on the road and defeated another national power, UNLV, in the second round before losing to Bradley in the quarterfinals.
The 1982–83 squad lost in the Metro Conference men’s basketball tournament final.
The program fell victim to one of the biggest scandals of the 1980s in college sports when four players, including star forward “Hot Rod” Williams, were accused of taking money and cocaine to alter the final point spreads of games they played in. Clyde Eads and Jon Johnson were granted immunity to testify against Williams, the alleged ringleader. Although he was indicted, the judge eventually declared a mistrial, and no sentence was handed down. Williams spent the next nine years with the NBA‘s Cleveland Cavaliers. Within days of Williams’ indictment, Fowler and his assistant coaches, and athletic director Hindman Wall all resigned. Newly-hired football coach Mack Brown became interim athletic director.
On April 4, 1985, president Eamon Kelly disbanded the basketball program. He did not intend ever to allow its return; he relented in 1988 after several students convinced him that they were being punished for something that occurred when they were not at Tulane.[4]
New head coach Perry Clark rebuilt the program to unprecedented success, including a 1991–92 season that started 13–0. They made the Metro tournament final in 1992 and lost. However, they made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 1992–93 and 1994–95 teams matched that team’s success, but Tulane has not approached such heights since. Clark resigned in 2000 to coach the Miami Hurricanes. The Green Wave failed to make any postseason tournament under Clark’s successor, Shawn Finney, or under former Maryland assistant Dave Dickerson.
Ed Conroy was hired as the new head coach in 2010. His teams have seen initial success against out-of-conference foes in each of its seasons but have done poorly in conference games. The 2010–11 team finished 13–17 after a 12–3 start, while his 2011–12 team finished 15–16 after starting 14–6.[5][6][7]
On March 14, 2016, Tulane fired Conroy after six years as head coach.[8] He was replaced by former longtime NBA player and coach Mike Dunleavy Sr.[9] On March 16, 2019, after a 4–27 season, the Tulane athletic department fired Dunleavy. As of 2023, the head coach is Ron Hunter.
Popular culture
In the 1992 sports comedy film White Men Can’t Jump, character Billy Hoyle mentions he is a former Green Wave player.
Postseason
NCAA tournament results
The Green Wave have appeared in three NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 3–3.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | #10 | First Round Second Round |
#7 St. John’s #2 Oklahoma State |
W 61–57 L 71–87 |
| 1993 | #11 | First Round Second Round |
#6 Kansas State #3 Florida State |
W 55–53 L 63–94 |
| 1995 | #9 | First Round Second Round |
#8 BYU #1 Kentucky |
W 76–70 L 60–82 |
NIT results
The Green Wave have appeared in six National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 7–6.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals |
LSU UNLV Bradley |
W 83–72 W 56–51 L 61–77 |
| 1983 | First Round | Nebraska | L 65–72 |
| 1994 | First Round Second Round |
Evansville Siena |
W 76–63 L 79–89 |
| 1996 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game |
Auburn Minnesota Illinois State Nebraska Alabama |
W 87–73 W 84–65 W 83–72 L 78–90 W 87–76 |
| 1997 | First Round | Oklahoma State | L 72–79 |
| 2000 | First Round | NC State | L 60–64 |
CBC results
The Green Wave have appeared in one College Basketball Crown (CBC). Their combined record is 0–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | First Round | USC | L 60–89 |
CBI results
The Green Wave have appeared in one College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Their combined record is 0–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | First Round | Princeton | L 55–56 |
CIT results
The Green Wave have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their combined record is 1–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | First Round Second Round |
South Alabama Bradley |
W 84–73 L 72–77 |
Notable players
The following Green Wave players have played in the NBA:
- John Arthurs
- John “Hot Rod” Williams
- Linton Johnson
- Paul Thompson
- Jerald Honeycutt
- Melvin Frazier
- Cameron Reynolds
- Sion James
Others:
- Sammis Reyes (born 1995), Chilean player who switched to American football
- Taylor Rochestie (born 1985), American-Montenegrin player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
he Tulane Green Wave football team represents Tulane University in the sport of American football. The Green Wave compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the American Conference (The American). The football team is currently coached by Will Hall, the team plays its home games in Yulman Stadium on its campus in Uptown New Orleans.[4]
History
Conference affiliations
Tulane has been both an independent and affiliated with multiple conferences.[5]: 183–210
- Independent (1893–1894)[6]
- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1895–1921)[6]
- Southern Conference (1922–1932)[6]
- Southeastern Conference (1933–1965)[7]
- Independent (1966–1995)[8]
- Conference USA (1996–2013)[8]
- American (2014–present)[8]
Championships
Conference championships
Tulane has won eleven conference football championships in five different conferences. As of 2025, Tulane’s three Southeastern Conference titles are more than nine current members of the SEC: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.[9]
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conf. Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920† | SIAA | Clark Shaughnessy | 6–2–1 | 5–0 |
| 1925† | SoCon | 9–0–1 | 5–0 | |
| 1929 | Bernie Bierman | 9–0 | 6–0 | |
| 1930† | 8–1 | 5–0 | ||
| 1931 | 11–1 | 8–0 | ||
| 1934† | SEC | Ted Cox | 10–1 | 8–0 |
| 1939† | Red Dawson | 8–1–1 | 5–0 | |
| 1949 | Henry E. Frnka | 7–2–1 | 5–1 | |
| 1998 | C-USA | Tommy Bowden | 12–0 | 6–0 |
| 2022 | American | Willie Fritz | 12–2 | 7–1 |
| 2025 | Jon Sumrall | 11–2 | 7–1 |
† Co-championship
Division championships
| Season | Division | Coach | Opponent | CG result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018† | AAC West | Willie Fritz | N/A lost tiebreaker to Memphis | |
† Co-championship
Bowl games
Tulane has played in 17 official bowl games, with the Green Wave garnering a record of 7–10. Tulane also played in the Bacardi Bowl in 1909, playing the Havana Athletic Club, losing 11–0. This was not sanctioned by the NCAA, and thus the Green Wave do not recognize the bowl appearance. Notably, Tulane’s first bowl win was the inaugural Sugar Bowl, played in their home stadium.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | Bernie Bierman | Rose Bowl | USC | L 12–21 |
| 1934 | Ted Cox | Sugar Bowl | Temple | W 20–14 |
| 1939 | Red Dawson | Sugar Bowl | Texas A&M | L 13–14 |
| 1970 | Jim Pittman | Liberty Bowl | Colorado | W 17–3 |
| 1973 | Bennie Ellender | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl | Houston | L 7–47 |
| 1979 | Larry Smith | Liberty Bowl | Penn State | L 6–9 |
| 1980 | Vince Gibson | Hall of Fame Classic | Arkansas | L 15–34 |
| 1987 | Mack Brown | Independence Bowl | Washington | L 12–24 |
| 1998 | Chris Scelfo | Liberty Bowl | BYU | W 41–27 |
| 2002 | Hawaii Bowl | Hawaii | W 36–28 | |
| 2013 | Curtis Johnson | New Orleans Bowl | Louisiana–Lafayette | L 21–24 |
| 2018 | Willie Fritz | Cure Bowl | Louisiana | W 41–24 |
| 2019 | Armed Forces Bowl | Southern Miss | W 30–13 | |
| 2020 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Nevada | L 27–38 | |
| 2022 | Cotton Bowl Classic † | USC | W 46–45 | |
| 2023 | Slade Nagle[A 1] | Military Bowl | Virginia Tech | L 20–41 |
| 2024 | Jon Sumrall | Gasparilla Bowl | Florida | L 8–33 |
| 2025 | CFP First Round † | Ole Miss | L 10–41 |
† New Year’s Six/CFP game
Head coaches
The team has had 39 head coaches and 1 interim head coach since Tulane began playing football in 1893. 13 coaches have led the program to postseason bowl games: R. R. Brown, Bernie Bierman, Ted Cox, Red Dawson, Jim Pittman, Bennie Ellender, Larry Smith, Vince Gibson, Mack Brown, Tommy Bowden, Chris Scelfo, Curtis Johnson, and Willie Fritz. While Tommy Bowden led the 1998 team to a perfect 11–0 regular season and the 1998 Liberty Bowl, Chris Scelfo coached the team during that game.[10] Seven coaches have led the team to conference championships: Clark Shaughnessy (1 SIAA and 1 SoCon), Bernie Bierman (3 SoCon), Ted Cox (1 SEC), Red Dawson (1 SEC), Henry E. Frnka (1 SEC), Tommy Bowden (1 C-USA), and Willie Fritz (1 American).
Clark Shaughnessy and Chris Scelfo were at one time tied for all-time leaders in games coached at Tulane with 94 each until Willie Fritz surpassed them in 2023. Clark Shaughnessy is the all-time leader in years coached (11) and total wins (59). Presently, former head coach Willie Fritz, has the second-most program wins (43) of all time.
Home stadium
The Green Wave have played their home games in Yulman Stadium on its Uptown campus since 2014. Prior to that season, Tulane played home games in the Caesars Superdome for nearly 40 seasons, and in its previous on-campus venue, the third Tulane Stadium, before that. The Green Wave have also played at the second Tulane Stadium, first Tulane Stadium, Athletic Park and Crescent City Base Ball Park.[11]
Because Tulane’s campus is landlocked within Uptown New Orleans, Yulman is tightly fit within its athletic footprint and directly abutting the surrounding neighborhood. The stadium has a capacity of 30,000 spectators and was constructed with the ability to expand.[12][13]
Rivalries
Auburn
Tulane leads the series with Auburn 17–15–6 through the 2019 season.[14]
LSU
Tulane’s biggest and oldest rival is LSU. It began in 1893 with a 34–0 Green Wave victory over the Tigers. The teams stopped meeting every year in the Battle for the Rag in 2009. The rivalry became less competitive after 1948, until Tulane broke a 25-game non-winning streak in 1973 with a 14–0 victory in front of a Tulane Stadium record crowd of 86,598 in the final installment of the long-time rivalry played on Tulane’s campus. Between 1979 and 1982, Tulane won three out of four games against the Tigers; the 1982 win was the last win to date. The two schools stopped playing annually after the 1994 game; however, they have met six times (1996, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009) since. As a condition of the broken series agreement made in 2006, a potential future game will be played in a future season in New Orleans.[15] LSU leads the series 69–23–7 through the 2019 season.[16]
Ole Miss
Ole Miss leads the series 45–28 through the 2025 season.[17] The first game took place on December 2, 1893, in New Orleans, and the two schools have continued to play each other with few interruptions since. Tulane and Ole Miss spent much of their athletic histories as members of the same conference: the SIAA from 1899 to 1920, the Southern Conference from 1922 to 1932, and as charter members of the SEC from 1932 to 1966. As of 2025, Tulane hasn’t defeated the Rebels since 1988.[18]
In 2025, #13 Ole Miss defeated the Wave at home 45–10. Both schools would eventually rematch in the CFP First Round in Oxford, as #6 Ole Miss defeated #20 Tulane 41–10.
Southern Miss
Known as the Battle for the Bell, Tulane’s rivalry with Southern Miss was played yearly from 1979 until 2006 and alternates sites between New Orleans and Hattiesburg, Mississippi. As a result of Conference USA splitting into East and West divisions in 2005, the game was played two out of every four years.[19] The rivalry was put on hold as a result of Tulane’s move to the American Conference in 2014, but in 2017 the schools announced new games slated for 2022, 2023, 2026, and 2027.[20] Southern Miss leads the series 24–10 through the 2023 season.[16]
Culture
Marching band
The Tulane University Marching Band (TUMB) was founded in 1920 as a military band. It dissolved shortly after the team’s move to the Superdome in the 1970s and did not formally return until 2006.[21] The TUMB performs at home games each fall and in Mardi Gras parades each spring.
Mascot
Riptide the Pelican debuted in 1998 with the re-branding of Tulane athletics. Prior to that, the school used an angry wave nicknamed “Gumby” by fans, and before that a John Chase creation named “Greenie.”[21]
Individual honors
All-Americans
Tulane has had 19 players named to first-team All-America teams. Of those 19, five were consensus selections, with one being a unanimous selection.[22]
All-time record vs. AAC teams
Records current as of January 2, 2023 [23]
|
Players in NFL draft
Future opponents
Non-conference
Announced schedules as of August 25, 2026.[24]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at Duke | Louisiana | at Iowa State | Iowa State | at LSU (rivalry) | at Mississippi State | |
| South Alabama | at Southern Miss (rivalry) | |||||
| at Kansas State | at Wake Forest | |||||
| Southern Miss (rivalry) | Nicholls |
