Team history
Early years (1901-1954)
Colorado State University's men's basketball program began during the 1901–02 season, when the school was known as Colorado Agricultural College. [2] In 1910–11, the team joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The institution was renamed Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, commonly known as Colorado A&M, in 1935. [3] During the 1938–39 season, the school followed several larger conference members in moving from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to the Mountain States Conference, where it remained through the 1961–62 season. The program achieved its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1954, reaching the Sweet 16 under head coach Bill Strannigan. From 1901 through 1954, the men's basketball team compiled an overall record of 284–409.
The Jim Williams era (1954-1980)
Jim Williams arrived at Colorado State in 1954 after replacing Strannigan, who left for Iowa State University. In 1957, the institution officially became Colorado State University, although the “Aggies” nickname remained in use until 1966, when it was formally abolished and the Rams became the university's sole identity. [3]
The 1960s marked the most successful decade of Williams’ tenure. Under his leadership, CSU earned four NCAA Tournament appearances and captured a conference championship in 1961. Williams guided the Rams to the NCAA Tournament in 1963, 1966, and 1969. The program's best postseason performance came in 1969, when CSU reached the Elite Eight after defeating in-state rival Colorado in the Sweet 16. This remains the deepest NCAA Tournament run in program history. [4]
In 1965, following the death of Athletic Director Bob Davis, Williams assumed the role of athletic director while continuing to coach the basketball team. During this period, he oversaw the construction of Moby Arena and Hughes Stadium. Williams returned to full-time head coaching duties at the start of the 1968 school year. [5] The following season, 1969–70, Colorado State joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Williams was dismissed in 1980 but remained a visible presence at CSU basketball games, where he was honored with a special courtside seat. He was also among the first inductees into the CSU Sports Hall of Fame. Over 26 seasons as head coach, Williams recorded 352 wins, the most by any men's basketball coach in school history, solidifying his legacy as the greatest coach in the program's history. [6]
The later WAC years (1980-1999)
In 1988, Boyd Grant—a former standout player under Jim Williams—returned to Colorado State as head coach. That season, the Rams made their first postseason appearance in more than two decades, finishing third in the 1988 NIT. The program's success continued over the next two seasons, as CSU won consecutive Western Athletic Conference titles in 1989 and 1990 and earned NCAA Tournament berths both years. [7]
Over four seasons, Grant compiled an 81–46 record (.638 winning percentage). He retired from coaching following the 1991 season. In the years that followed, CSU returned to the NIT in 1996, 1998, and 1999. The Rams advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1999 NIT, which marked their final season competing in the Western Athletic Conference.
The Mountain West era (1999-present)
After 20 seasons in the WAC, Colorado State then moved to the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for the 1999–00 season. [2] Colorado State was an inaugural member of the MWC. [8] In 2003, the Rams reached their first NCAA tournament in over a decade after winning the Mountain West tournament after grabbing sixth place in the Mountain West regular season.
Tim Miles served as Colorado State's head men's basketball coach from 2007 to 2012, taking over a struggling program. His first three seasons produced modest results. However, a turning point came during the 2010–11 season, when the Rams posted a winning record and reestablished themselves as contenders in the conference. The peak of Miles’ tenure occurred in the 2011–12 season. CSU finished 20–12 overall and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, the program's first since 1990. [9] Although the Rams were eliminated in the first round, the appearance marked CSU's return to national relevance. Following the 2011–12 season, Miles left Colorado State to become the head coach at Nebraska. [10] He was succeeded by Larry Eustachy, who led the program from 2012 to 2018.
Eustachy led Colorado State to an outstanding 2012–13 season, finishing 26–9 and earning another at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team cracked the national top 25 for the first time since 1954 and set a program record for most wins. [11] CSU defeated Missouri 84–72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, securing its first tournament win since 1989, before losing to top-seeded Louisville in the third round. The Rams again reached the top 25 during the 2014–15 season and set another program record for wins, finishing 27–7. [12] Despite the historic regular season, CSU did not receive an NCAA Tournament bid that year. [13] On February 3, 2018, Colorado State placed Eustachy on administrative leave pending the completion of an inquiry into his behavior. He resigned from his position on February 26, 2018, bringing his tenure as head coach to an end. [14]
Niko Medved was named head coach of Colorado State on March 22, 2018. [15] He led the Rams to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013 during the 2021-2022 season. That season, CSU also finished ranked in the AP Top 25. The 2023–24 season marked another major step forward for the program. The Rams appeared in the Top 25 in nine different polls and reached No. 13 in early December, the highest ranking in school history. [16] Medved guided CSU back to the NCAA Tournament, where the Rams defeated Virginia 67–42 in the First Four in Dayton before falling to Texas 56–44 in the Round of 64. During the 2024–25 season, Colorado State went 6–5 in non-conference play before finishing Mountain West conference play on a seven-game winning streak, concluding the regular season with a 22–9 record. [17] The Rams would go on to win the 2025 Mountain West Tournament championship, led by tournament MVP and future NBA first-round pick Nique Clifford. [18] The 69–56 Mountain West tournament championship over Boise State secured CSU's third NCAA Tournament berth under Medved. In the NCAA Tournament, Colorado State defeated Memphis 78–70 in the Round of 64, extending its winning streak to 11 games. [19] The Rams’ season ended in the Round of 32 with a 72–71 loss to Maryland. [20] Ali Farokhmanesh was named head coach of Colorado State after Medved left to take the head coaching job at Minnesota. [21]
Colorado State has produced three first round picks while playing in the Mountain West, including Jason Smith, David Roddy, and Nique Clifford. Colorado State will be joining the Pac-12 for the 2026–27 season.
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