
Evansville Purple Aces basketball
Evansville Purple Aces basketball history
University of Evansville (Evansville, IN)
Ford Center
Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)
Current head coach: David Ragland (2022-)
- Assoc. HC: Craig Snow (2022-)
- Asst: George Swanson (2022-)
- Asst: Roosevelt Jones (2022-)
- Asst/Chief of Staff: Peter Funk (2023-)
- DPD: DJ Balentine (2023-)
Post-Season:
- National Championships: 0
- Final Four Appearances: 0
- Sweet Sixteen Appearances: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 5 (1982, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1999)
- NCAAT Overall Record: 1-5
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 2 (1988, 1994)
- NIT Overall Record: 1-2
- CBI Appearances: 2 (2011, 2012)
- CBI Overall Record: 1-2
- CIT Championships: 1 (2015)
- CIT Appearances: 3 (2009, 2013, 2015)
- CIT Overall Record: 8-2
- NCAA Division II National Championships: 5 (1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971)
- NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances: 15 (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976)
- NCAA Division II Tournament Final Four: 6 (1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1971)
- NCAA Division II Tournament Overall Record: 40-10
- NAIA Tournament Appearances: 4 (1941, 1942, 1951, 1955)
- NAIA Tournament Overall Record: 3-4
Conference Titles (Indiana Collegiate, Horizon League, Missouri Valley):
- Missouri Valley Regular Season Championships: 1 (1999)
- Horizon League Regular Season Championships: 5 (1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993)
- ICC (Div II) Regular Season Championships: 9 (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966)
- Missouri Valley Tournament Championships: 0
- Horizon League Tournament Championships: 3 (1982, 1992, 1993)
Award Winners:
- Naismith Player of the Year: 0
- John R. Wooden Award: 0
- Oscar Robertson Trophy: 0
- AP All-Americans: 0
- Missouri Valley Player of the Year: 1 (Marcus Wilson, 1999)
- Horizon League Player of the Year: 2 (last = Parrish Casebier, 1992)
Evansville head coaches:
Coach | Tenure | Record | Conf. Titles | NCAA Apps. | Nat. Champ |
David Ragland | 2022-Pres | 5-27 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Todd Lickliter | 2020-22 | 15-53 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bennie Seltzer (int.) | 2019-20 | 0-6 | – | – | – |
Walter McCarty | 2018-19 | 20-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Marty Simmons | 2007-18 | 184-175 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Steve Merfeld | 2002-07 | 54-91 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jim Crews | 1985-2002 | 294-209 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
Dick Walters | 1978-85 | 114-87 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Bobby Watson | 1977-78 | 1-3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arad McCutchan | 1946-77 | 514-314 | 9^ | 17^ | 5^ |
Emerson Henke | 1943-46 | 29-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bill Slyker | 1930-43 | 121-96 | 0 | 2^ | 0 |
John Harmon | 1923-30 | 59-50 | – | – | – |
Charles Holton | 1922-23 | 2-8 | – | – | – |
Harlan Miller | 1921-22 | 2-9 | – | – | – |
Clem McGinness | 1920-21 | 2-8 | – | – | – |
G. B. Schnurr | 1919-20 | 1-3 | – | – | – |
Key: Conf. Titles= Regular Season only, NCAA Apps= NCAA Tournament Appearances, Nat. Champ= NCAA Tournament Champions
^ These conference titles, tournament appearances and national championships came when the Evansville program was at the NAIA or NCAA Division II level; Evansville moved up to Division I prior to the 1977-78 season
NOTE: Overall program records on this page do not include anything later vacated by the NCAA.