FIU Panthers | ||||
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University | Florida International University | |||
Head coach | Jeremy Ballard (6th season) | |||
Conference | C-USA | |||
Location | Westchester, Florida | |||
Arena | Ocean Bank Convocation Center (Capacity: 5,000) | |||
Nickname | Panthers | |||
Colors | Blue and gold [1] | |||
Uniforms | ||||
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NCAA tournament appearances | ||||
1995 | ||||
Conference tournament champions | ||||
TAAC: 1995 | ||||
Conference regular season champions | ||||
TAAC: 1993 |
The FIU Panthers men's basketball team represents Florida International University in Westchester, Florida. The school's team currently competes in Conference USA. They are led by head coach Jeremy Ballard and play their home games at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
On April 15, 2012, Richard Pitino left his position as the associate head coach at the University of Louisville to become the head coach at FIU. With only six players remaining from the previous season, and not all of them on scholarship, Pitino cobbled together a team and coached a high-pressure defense that finished eighth in the nation in steals. He was able to compile an 18–14 record (11-9 in the Sun Belt conference) in his only season as head coach. His FIU team set a record for the best conference record in school history. Additionally, FIU reached the Sun Belt tournament championship game as a four seed, before falling to Western Kentucky, 65–63.
On April 3, 2013, Richard Pitino was hired to become the next head coach at the University of Minnesota, replacing Tubby Smith.
On April 15, 2013, Anthony Evans left his position as head coach at Norfolk State University to become the head coach at FIU.
On April 2, 2018, FIU fired Evans after 5 seasons, in which the Panthers finished 65–94 with no postseason tournament appearances. [2]
On April 20, 2018, VCU associate head coach Jeremy Ballard was hired by the Panthers for the head coaching job. [3]
FIU men's basketball team had its lone NCAA Tournament appearance in the 1995 tournament under then Head Coach Bob Weltlich, who had already announced his resignation following the season. FIU won the TAAC Basketball Tournament and in doing so earned an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament, and in doing so became the worst team to receive a bid in its history. FIU was seeded #16 and played the #1 seeded UCLA Bruins in the first round of the West Regional, which was played at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise. The Panthers lost the game to the Bruins by the score of 92–56, being the first tournament win in UCLA's successful run to the National Championship that year. Weltlich notably said during the post-game interview, "If anyone knows of any openings out there, my number is...".
The "Sunblazers" men's basketball team was also featured in a second-season episode of Miami Vice entitled "The Fix".
The Panthers have appeared in one NCAA tournament. Their record is 0–1.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | First round | UCLA | L 56–92 |
The Panthers have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) one time. Their record is 1-1.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | First round Second Round | Texas State Green Bay | W 87-81 L 68-98 |
Season | Conference affiliation | Win–loss (overall) | Win–loss (overall) | Conference finish | Postseason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981–82 | D-II Independent | 11–16 | n/a | n/a | |
1982–83 | D-II Independent | 15–12 | n/a | n/a | |
1983–84 | D-II Independent | 13–13 | n/a | n/a | |
1984–85 | D-II Independent | 19–8 | n/a | n/a | |
1985–86 | D-II Independent | 17–9 | n/a | n/a | |
1986–87 | D-II Independent | 7–18 | n/a | n/a | |
1987–88 | D-II Independent | 9–19 | n/a | n/a | |
1988–89 | D-I Independent | 10–18 | n/a | n/a | |
1989–90 | D-I Independent | 9–19 | n/a | n/a | |
1990–91 | D-I Independent | 6–22 | n/a | n/a | |
1991–92 | TAAC | 11–17 | 7–7 | T–3rd | TAAC Tournament Quarterfinals |
1992–93 | TAAC | 20–10 | 9–3 | 1st | TAAC Regular Season Champs |
1993–94 | TAAC | 11–16 | 7–9 | T–6th | TAAC Tournament Quarterfinals |
1994–95 | TAAC | 11–19 | 4–12 | T–9th | TAAC Tournament Champs NCAA First Round |
1995–96 | TAAC | 13–15 | 5–11 | T–3rd East | TAAC Tournament Semifinals |
1996–97 | TAAC | 16–13 | 12–4 | 2nd East | TAAC Tournament Finals |
1997–98 | TAAC | 21–8 | 13–3 | 2nd East | TAAC Tournament Finals |
1998–99 | Sun Belt | 13–16 | 7–7 | T–3rd | Sun Belt Tournament Semifinals |
1999–2000 | Sun Belt | 16–14 | 9–7 | 4th | Sun Belt Tournament First Round |
2000–01 | Sun Belt | 8–21 | 5–11 | 5th East | Sun Belt Tournament Second Round |
2001–02 | Sun Belt | 10–20 | 4–10 | 5th East | Sun Belt Tournament First Round |
2002–03 | Sun Belt | 8–21 | 1–13 | 5th East | Sun Belt Tournament Second Round |
2003–04 | Sun Belt | 5–22 | 0–13 | 5th East | |
2004–05 | Sun Belt | 13–17 | 0–10 | 5th East | Sun Belt Tournament Semifinals |
2005–06 | Sun Belt | 8–20 | 0–13 | 5th East | Sun Belt Tournament First Round |
2006–07 | Sun Belt | 12–17 | 7–11 | 6th East | Sun Belt Tournament First Round |
2007–08 | Sun Belt | 9–20 | 6–12 | 5th East | Sun Belt Tournament First Round |
2008–09 | Sun Belt | 13–20 | 7–11 | 5th East | Sun Belt Tournament Quarterfinals |
2009–10 | Sun Belt | 7–25 | 4–14 | 6th East | Sun Belt Tournament First Round |
2010–11 | Sun Belt | 11–19 | 5–11 | 6th East | Sun Belt Tournament Quarterfinals |
2011–12 | Sun Belt | 8–21 | 5–11 | 6th East | Sun Belt Tournament First Round |
2012–13 | Sun Belt | 18–14 | 11–9 | 3rd East | Sun Belt Tournament Finals |
2013–14 | C-USA | 15–16 | 7–9 | T–8th | |
2014–15 | C-USA | 16–17 | 8–10 | T–7th | C-USA Tournament Quarterfinals |
2015–16 | C-USA | 13–19 | 7–11 | T–9th | C-USA Tournament Second Round |
2016–17 | C-USA | 7–24 | 3–15 | 13th | |
2017–18 | C-USA | 14–18 | 8–10 | T–7th | C-USA Tournament First Round |
2018–19 | C-USA | 20–14 | 10–8 | 7th | C-USA Tournament First Round CIT Second Round |
2019–20 | C-USA | 19–13 | 9-9 | 5th | C-USA Tournament Quarterfinals |
2020–21 | C-USA | 9–17 | 2–15 | 14th (overall) 7th East | |
2021–22 | C-USA | 15–17 | 5–13 | 11th (overall) 6th East |
NCAA tournament Appearances (1): 1995
Trans America Athletic Conference tournament champions (1): 1995
Trans America Athletic Conference regular season champions (1): 1992–93
FIU Panthers alumni to have gone on to the NBA and international professional basketball.
Name | Years at FIU | Team |
---|---|---|
Carlos Arroyo | 1998–2001 | Boston Celtics |
Raja Bell | 1999–2000 | Utah Jazz |
Clyde Corley | 1982–1983 | Dallas Mavericks |
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Benjamin Clark Howland is an American college basketball coach who most recently served as the men's head coach at Mississippi State University from to 2015 to 2022. He served as the head men's basketball coach at Northern Arizona University from 1994 to 1999, the University of Pittsburgh from 1999 to 2003, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 2003 to 2013. Howland became the first men's coach in modern college basketball history to be fired shortly after winning an outright power-conference title. He is one of the few NCAA Division I coaches to take four teams to the NCAA tournament.
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 1919, the program has won a record 11 NCAA titles. Coach John Wooden led the Bruins to 10 national titles in 12 seasons, from 1964 to 1975, including seven straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record four times. Coach Jim Harrick led the team to another NCAA title in 1995. Former coach Ben Howland led UCLA to three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2006 to 2008. As a member of the AAWU, Pacific-8 and then Pacific-10, UCLA set an NCAA Division I record with 13 consecutive regular season conference titles between 1967 and 1979 which stood until tied by Kansas in 2017. UCLA is scheduled to join the Big Ten Conference in 2024.
Bob Weltlich is an American former college basketball coach and author. Weltlich coached 22 seasons with a career record of 300–335. He was head coach at the University of South Alabama, Florida International University (FIU), University of Texas and University of Mississippi. Weltlich is one of only 19 coaches to lead three different programs to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
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Anthony Lemont Evans is an American college basketball coach and the former head men's basketball coach at Florida International. Prior to FIU, he served as the head coach at Norfolk State University. Evans currently serves as Director of Player Development at UMass.
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The Georgia State Panthers men's basketball team represents Georgia State University and competes in the Sun Belt Conference of NCAA Division I. The Panthers play at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
The FIU Panthers are the athletic teams representing Florida International University, an American public university located in Miami, Florida. The Panthers currently compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletics as members of Conference USA. The men's soccer and swimming & diving teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Until 2011, they were known as the FIU Golden Panthers.
The 2012–13 FIU Panthers men's basketball team represented Florida International University during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by first year head coach Richard Pitino, played their home games at U.S. Century Bank Arena, and were members of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They finished the season 18–14, 11–9 in Sun Belt play to finish in third place in the East Division. They advanced to the championship game of the Sun Belt tournament where they lost to WKU. Despite the 18 wins, they did not participate in a post season tournament.
The 2017–18 FIU Panthers men's basketball team represented Florida International University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by fifth-year head coach Anthony Evans, played their home games at FIU Arena in Miami, Florida as members of Conference USA. They finished the season 14–18, 8–10 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost in the first round of the C-USA tournament to Southern Miss.
Jeremy Ballard is an American college basketball coach, and current head coach of the FIU Panthers men's basketball team.
The 2018–19 Conference USA men's basketball season began with practices in October 2018, followed by the start of the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play began in late December and concluded in early March.
The 2018–19 FIU Panthers men's basketball team represented Florida International University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by first-year head coach Jeremy Ballard, played their home games at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida as members of Conference USA.
The 2019–20 FIU Panthers men's basketball team represented Florida International University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by second-year head coach Jeremy Ballard, played their home games at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida as members of Conference USA. They finished the season 19–13, 9–9 in CUSA play to finish in fifth place. They defeated Rice in the first round of the C-USA tournament and were set to face Charlotte in the quarterfinals before the remainder of the tournament was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020–21 FIU Panthers men's basketball team represented Florida International University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by third-year head coach Jeremy Ballard, played their home games at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida as members of the East Division of Conference USA.
The 2022–23 FIU Panthers men's basketball team represented Florida International University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by fifth-year head coach Jeremy Ballard, played their home games at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida as members of Conference USA.
The 1994–95 FIU Golden Panthers men's basketball team represented Florida International University during the 1994–95 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by fifth-year head coach Bob Weltlich, played their home games at Golden Panther Arena, and were members of Trans America Athletic Conference. They finished the season 11–19, 4–12 in TAAC play which landed them tied for 8th in the conference regular season standings. They made a surprise run to win the TAAC tournament to secure the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament – the first, and only, appearance in school history. Playing as the No. 16 seed in the West region, FIU was overwhelmed by No. 1 overall seed and eventual National champion UCLA, 92–56, in the opening round.
The 2023–24 FIU Panthers men's basketball team represents Florida International University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by sixth-year head coach Jeremy Ballard, play their home games at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Florida as members of Conference USA.