The Navy Midshipmen men's basketball program began play in the early 20th century, quickly establishing itself as one of the nation's top teams. In the pre-NCAA Tournament era, the 1913 team was retroactively recognized by the
Helms Athletic Foundation, finishing with a perfect 9–0 record. In addition, the 1919 squad posted a 10–0 mark and was retroactively ranked as the country's top team by Premo-Porretta. These early successes laid the foundation for Navy's long-standing basketball tradition.
Tournament success (1986–2004) Pete Herrmann served as head coach of the Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team from 1986 to 1992, succeeding Paul Evans. In his first season, he led the Midshipmen to a 26–6 record, winning both the
Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) regular season and tournament titles, and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The season also marked the final collegiate campaign for All-American and future hall of fame center
David Robinson, who was selected first overall in the
1987 NBA Draft. In 1992,
Don DeVoe succeeded Herrmann as head coach and held the position from 1992 to 2004. During his 12 seasons, DeVoe amassed a 184–161 record and led the Midshipmen to five
Patriot League regular season titles and three
Patriot League tournament championships. Under his leadership, Navy earned
NCAA tournament berths in
1994,
1997, and
1998. DeVoe was named Patriot League Coach of the Year in 1994, 1997, and 2000.
Present-day success (2020–present) During the 2020–21 season, under head coach
Ed DeChellis and assistant coach
John Perry, the Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team posted a 15–3 overall record and went 12–1 in Patriot League play, winning the Patriot League South Division title. The Midshipmen secured the No. 1 overall seed in the
Patriot League Tournament for the first time since the
1996–97 season, but were upset in the quarterfinals by No. 9 seed
Loyola (Maryland). In the 2024–25 season, Navy advanced to the
Patriot League Tournament championship game as the No. 5 seed after upsetting top-seeded
Bucknell in the semifinals, but fell to No. 2 seed
American University, 74–52, in the final. Following the season, Ed DeChellis retired after 14 seasons, and Jon Perry was promoted to head coach. In the 2025–26 season, Navy lead by Austin Benigni, clinched the
Patriot League's regular-season title for the first time since
2000, and their first outright title since
1997. However, the season would come to a close in an Patriot League Tournament semi-finals upset against No. 4 seed
Boston University 73–72. ==Postseason history==