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The Charleston Cougars men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. The Cougars compete in the Coastal Athletic Association. Home games are played at TD Arena, located on College of Charleston's campus. While a member of the NAIA, they were National Champions in 1983. The Cougars have appeared seven times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2024.
| Charleston Cougars | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | College of Charleston | ||
| Head coach | Chris Mack (1st season) | ||
| Conference | Coastal Athletic Association | ||
| Location | Charleston, South Carolina | ||
| Arena | TD Arena (capacity: 5,100) | ||
| Nickname | Cougars | ||
| Colors | Maroon and white[1] | ||
| NCAA tournament round of 32 | |||
| 1997 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2018, 2023, 2024 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| Dixie: 1964 TAAC/A-Sun: 1997, 1998 SoCon: 1999 CAA: 2018, 2023, 2024 | |||
| Conference regular season champions | |||
| TAAC/A-Sun: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 SoCon: 1999, 2000, 2003, 2011 CAA: 2018, 2023, 2024 | |||
| Conference division season champions | |||
| SoCon: 2001, 2002, 2004 | |||
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The College of Charleston has sponsored a men's basketball team since 1898. They have been NCAA Division I since 1991 in the Trans-Atlantic Athletic Conference (now ASUN Conference), the Southern Conference and presently the Coastal Athletic Association (formerly the Colonial Athletic Association).[2] In 2012, ESPN ranked Charleston as the 73rd best college basketball program in the previous 50 years, which was the highest ranking of all Division I teams in the state of South Carolina.[3]
John Kresse era (1979–2001)
Under head coach John Kresse, the team had its greatest success. In 1983, the Cougars won the NAIA Championship. In the 1991–92 season, the Cougars made the jump to Division I and beat UNC–Charlotte in their first game. In the 1998–99 season, the team joined the Southern Conference, winning its only SoCon tournament championship that year. In 1994, 1997, 1998 and 1999, the Cougars reached the NCAA tournament, with a record of 1–4, beating Maryland in the opening round in 1997. In 1995 and 1996, the Cougars made the NIT.
The program's biggest regular-season win in school history was over then-No. 3 North Carolina on the road on December 6, 1998. Kresse's career record at Charleston is 560–143.[when?]
Tom Herrion era (2002–06)
Many[who?] consider this a dark age for the program, despite winning seasons and an NIT berth in 2003. The Cougars' strength of schedule slid into decline and players with questionable reputations filled the roster. Tom Herrion's first Charleston team finished 25–8 in 2002–03, captured the Great Alaska Shootout title and advanced to the NIT. His 25 victories marked the highest total of any first-year NCAA Division I head coach during the 2002–03 season.[4] Herrion also guided the Cougars to a 20–9 finish in 2003–04, an 18–10 performance in 2004–05, and a 17–11 record in 2005–06. Herrion's final record was 80–38.
Bobby Cremins era (2006–12)
The College of Charleston hired former Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Cremins in 2006.[5] In each of Cremins' five complete seasons, Charleston won 20 games and Cremins won the SoCon Coach of the Year award in 2011. The Cougars played in a national postseason tournament in three consecutive seasons under Cremins, making the CBI in 2009 and 2010 and the NIT in 2011. During Cremins' tenure, the Cougars were put back in the national spotlight when they upset then-No.9 North Carolina on January 4, 2010, at TD Arena.[6] He took a leave of absence during the 2011–2012 season due to exhaustion and retired at the conclusion of the season.[7] His overall record at Charleston is 125–68.[5]
Doug Wojcik era (2012–14)
Doug Wojcik, University of Tulsa's all-time wins leader, was named the 22nd all-time head men's basketball coach at the College of Charleston on April 1, 2012.[8] In his first season with the Cougars, Wojcik led Charleston to the SoCon Championship before losing to Davidson. The Cougars were added to the CBI postseason tournament, losing to George Mason in the first round.[9] Charleston moved to the Colonial Athletic Association (now the Coastal Athletic Association) in 2013 and Wojcik's Cougars struggled to a 6–10 conference record. He was fired on August 5, 2014, with a 38–29 overall record.[10]
Earl Grant era (2014–2021)
Earl Grant, a former Clemson and Wichita State assistant, was named the Cougars' 23rd all-time head coach on September 2, 2014.[11] Charleston struggled in Grant's first year at the helm, finishing the season with just nine wins.[12] The Cougars did, however, win their first-ever CAA tournament game, a 56–48 decision over Drexel in the first round.[13] Grant got his first signature win with Charleston on November 30, 2015, when the Cougars defeated LSU 70–58 at TD Arena.[14]
Grant's Cougars experienced the national postseason for the first time under his watch during the 2016–17 season. After finishing the regular season with a 23–8 record and losing in the CAA Tournament final, Charleston received an at-large bid to the NIT as a five seed. The Cougars ultimately lost at Colorado State, 81–74.
In the 2017–18 season, Coach Grant and the Cougars managed a 26–8 record going 14–4 in the conference and undefeated at home, with sweeps over conference teams Delaware, Hofstra, Northeastern and UNC Wilmington. The Cougars would take the regular-season conference championship in a 79–58 win over Elon and would go into the CAA Conference tournament as a #1 seed, going on to win the tournament championship in an 83–76 OT win over Northeastern.[15] Charleston would then receive a #13 seed spot in the 2018 NCAA Tournament and play #4 Auburn in San Diego, CA.[16] After the season, Grant left to be head coach of Boston College.
Pat Kelsey era (2021–2024)
The Cougars hired Pat Kelsey, former head coach at Winthrop University, on March 25, 2021.[17] Kelsey led the Cougars for just three seasons, but his era at Charleston is considered one of the most successful in program history. He led the team to a 75–27 (.735) overall record over his three seasons at the helm, including two conference regular season titles, two conference championship titles and two NCAA tournament appearances.[18] He also introduced the "Our City" motto, meant to unite support for the team with the city of Charleston.[19]
His team finished the 2022–23 season with a 31–4 record, including 4 weeks in the AP Top 25 poll, a conference championship title, and an NCAA tournament appearance. The team also won the Charleston Classic for the first time in program history. Kelsey signed an amended 5-year contract with the College of Charleston that would pay him a $1.1 million base salary,[20] making him highest paid head coach in the Coastal Athletic Association.[21]
The success continued into the 2023–24 season as he led the program to its first outright regular season title since 2003 and was named the Coastal Athletic Association Coach of the Year.[22] Following the end of the season, Kelsey accepted the position as head coach at the University of Louisville.[22]
College of Charleston president Andrew Hsu praised Kelsey upon news of his new position at Louisville, saying "he brought so much energy and excitement to Our City ... his impact goes far beyond basketball. His success reignited a premiere basketball school in a premiere city."[22]
Chris Mack era (2024-present)
Chris Mack, the former head coach at Xavier University and the University of Louisville, for whom Pat Kelsey was an assistant coach at the former, was named the 25th head coach in program history on April 2, 2024.[23]
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- 1963–64 to 1969–70 – Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[a]
- 1970–71 to 1990–91 – NAIA independent
- 1991–92 to 1997–98 – Trans Atlantic Athletic Conference[b]
- 1998–99 to 2012–13 – Southern Conference
- 2013–14 to present – Coastal Athletic Association[c]
- Notes
- Currently known as the USA South Athletic Conference
- Currently known as the Atlantic Sun Conference.
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Charleston's history since joining Division I in 1991.
| Cougars Yearly Records | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Overall Rec. | Conference Rec. | Accomplishments |
| 1991–92 | 19–8 | N/A | N/A |
| 1992–93 | 19–8 | N/A | N/A |
| 1993–94 | 24–4 | 14–2 (TAAC) | TAAC Regular Season Champions, NCAA round of 64 |
| 1994–95 | 23–6 | 15–1 (TAAC) | TAAC Regular Season Champions, NIT first round |
| 1995–96 | 25–4 | 15–1 (TAAC) | TAAC Regular Season Champions, NIT Quarterfinals |
| 1996–97 | 29–3 | 16–0 (TAAC) | TAAC Regular Season & Tournament Champions, NCAA round of 32 |
| 1997–98 | 24–6 | 14–2 (TAAC) | TAAC Regular Season & Tournament Champions, NCAA round of 64 |
| 1998–99 | 28–3 | 16–0 (SoCon) | SoCon Regular Season & Tournament Champions, NCAA round of 64 |
| 1999–00 | 24–6 | 13–3 (SoCon) | SoCon South Division Champions (best overall record) |
| 2000–01 | 22–7 | 12–4 (SoCon) | SoCon South Division Champions |
| 2001–02 | 21–9 | 9–7 (SoCon) | SoCon South Division Champions |
| 2002–03 | 25–8 | 13–3 (SoCon) | SoCon South Division Champions (best overall record), NIT Quarterfinals |
| 2003–04 | 20–9 | 11–5 (SoCon) | SoCon South Division Champions |
| 2004–05 | 18–10 | 10–8 (SoCon) | N/A |
| 2005–06 | 17–11 | 9–6 (SoCon) | N/A |
| 2006–07 | 22–11 | 13–5 (SoCon) | N/A |
| 2007–08 | 16–17 | 9–11 (SoCon) | N/A |
| 2008–09 | 27–9 | 15–5 (SoCon) | CBI Quarterfinals |
| 2009–10 | 22–12 | 14–4 (SoCon) | CBI First round |
| 2010–11 | 26–11 | 14–4 (SoCon) | SoCon South Division Champions (tied best overall record), NIT Quarterfinals |
| 2011–12 | 19–12 | 10–8 (SoCon) | N/A |
| 2012–13 | 24–11 | 14–4 (SoCon) | CBI First round |
| 2013–14 | 14–18 | 6–10 (CAA) | N/A |
| 2014–15 | 9–24 | 3–15 (CAA) | N/A |
| 2015–16 | 17–14 | 8–10 (CAA) | N/A |
| 2016–17 | 25–10 | 14–4 (CAA) | NIT first round |
| 2017–18 | 28–8 | 14–4 (CAA) | CAA Regular Season co-champions & Tournament Champions, NCAA round of 64 |
| 2018–19 | 24–9 | 12–6 (CAA) | N/A |
| 2019–20 | 17–14 | 11–7 (CAA) | N/A |
| 2020–21 | 9–10 | 6–4 (CAA) | Season shortened due to COVID-19 |
| 2021–22 | 17–15 | 8–10 (CAA) | N/A |
| 2022–23 | 31–4 | 16–2 (CAA) | CAA Regular Season co-champions & Tournament Champions, NCAA round of 64 |
| 2023–24 | 27–7 | 15–3 (CAA) | CAA Regular Season champions & Tournament Champions, NCAA round of 64 |
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NCAA tournament results
The Cougars have appeared in the NCAA tournament seven times. Their combined record is 1–7.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | #12 | First round | #5 Wake Forest | L 58–68 |
| 1997 | #12 | First round Second round | #5 Maryland #4 Arizona | W 75–66 L 69–73 |
| 1998 | #14 | First round | #3 Stanford | L 57–67 |
| 1999 | #8 | First round | #9 Tulsa | L 53–62 |
| 2018 | #13 | First round | #4 Auburn | L 58–62 |
| 2023 | #12 | First round | #5 San Diego State | L 57–63 |
| 2024 | #13 | First round | #4 Alabama | L 96–109 |
NIT results
The Cougars have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) five times. Their combined record is 4–5.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | First round | Providence | L 67–72 |
| 1996 | First round Second round | Tennessee Rhode Island | W 55–49 L 58–62 |
| 2003 | Opening Round First round | Kent State Providence | W 72–66 L 64–69 |
| 2011 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | Dayton Cleveland State Wichita State | W 94–84 W 64–56 L 75–82 |
| 2017 | First round | Colorado State | L 74–81 |
CBI results
The Cougars have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) three times. Their combined record is 2–3.
NAIA tournament results
The Cougars have appeared in the NAIA tournament six times. Their combined record is 15–5. They were National Champions in 1983.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | Saint John's (MN) Oklahoma Panhandle State Santa Fe Chaminade West Virginia Wesleyan | W 67–43 W 64–62 OT W 67–62 W 66–65 W 57–53 |
| 1985 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | Castleton State Southeastern Oklahoma State Wayland Baptist | W 68–52 W 60–43 L 68–73 |
| 1986 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | Taylor Cumberland Arkansas–Monticello | W 57–47 W 59–46 L 60–63 |
| 1987 | First round Second round | Western State Hawaiʻi–Hilo | W 67–51 L 57–65 |
| 1988 | First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National third-place game | Defiance University of the Ozarks Saint Thomas Aquinas Auburn–Montgomery Waynesburg | W 78–62 W 73–59 W 67–61 L 70–74 W 89–61 |
| 1989 | First round Second round | Olivet Nazarene Central Washington | W 79–64 L 55–66 |
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Five former College of Charleston players have played in the NBA.
| Name | Years Played | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrell Brantley | 2020–2021 | UTA |
| Joe Chealey | 2019–2020 | CHA |
| Andrew Goudelock | 2012–2016 | LAL and HOU |
| Anthony Johnson | 1998–2010 | SAC, ATL, ORL, CLE, NJN, IND, and DAL |
| Grant Riller | 2021 | CHA |
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- Joe Chealey (born 1995), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League (ISBL)
- John Meeks (born 1999), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Grant Riller (born 1997), basketball player in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)
- Payton Willis (born 1998), basketball player in the Italian Basketball League (LBA)
- Jaylon Scott (born 2000), basketball player in the Romanian Basketball League (LNBM)
- Ryan Larson (born 2000), basketball player in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL)
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