Notable
alumni of Seattle University basketball include
Elgin Baylor,
Johnny O'Brien,
Eddie O'Brien,
Charlie Brown,
Eddie Miles,
Clint Richardson,
John Tresvant,
Tom Workman,
Frank Oleynick,
Charlie Williams,
Jawann Oldham,
Charles Garcia, and
Plummer Lott.
1950s and 1960s: National prominence Established in 1946, the program experienced a period of success during the 1950s and 1960s. Seattle produced more NBA players than any other school from 1960 to 1969. From
1953 to
1969, the Seattle Chieftains reached the
NCAA tournament 11 times. On January 21, 1952, the Seattle Chieftains beat the
Harlem Globetrotters in a stunning 84–81 upset, led by
Johnny O'Brien. In
1952, O'Brien became the first collegiate player to score 1,000 points in a season. Six years later,
Elgin Baylor led the
Chieftains to the championship game of the
1958 NCAA tournament.
1980s to 2000s: NAIA and Rejoining NCAA In 1980, local economic depression and mounting financial pressures for athletics competitiveness led the university to de-emphasize athletics and enter
NAIA. From 2008 to 2012, Seattle played as an independent during NCAA reclassification. On March 29, 2017,
Jim Hayford was hired as the Redhawks' head coach to replace Dollar, coming from rival
Eastern Washington. The Redhawks fell to
Central Arkansas in the first round of the
2018 CBI tournament. In his second year, Hayford compiled an 18–15 record, marking the Redhawks' first back-to-back 18+ win seasons since 2008–09 and 2009–10. The Redhawks fell to
Presbyterian in the first round of the
2019 CIT tournament. Following Hayford's resignation,
Chris Victor was named interim head coach in 2021, and was named head coach in 2022. In Victor's
first year as head coach, Seattle was named WAC regular season co-champions with a 23-9 record, the Redhawks' winningest season since the 1950s. Victor was named the 2022 Don Haskins WAC Coach of the Year, and was also named the 2022
NABC Coach of the Year for District 6. During the 2022–23 season, Seattle earned its first appearance in a Division I national poll since the 1964–65 season, receiving votes in the January 23
Coaches Poll, while also earning its highest-ever NET ranking at No. 61. Seattle won the
2024 CBI tournament over
High Point for its first-ever championship title. From 2021 to 2024, the Redhawks went three straight seasons with 20+ wins, their first such streak since 1957–59. Seattle's 12–3 record to start the 2025–26 season marked the Redhawks' best start since their 1963–64 season. In 2026, Seattle's Will Heimbrodt was named WCC Defensive Player of the Year, after ranking No. 6 nationally in blocked shots (2.53 per game) and ranking No. 1 in conference games in blocked shots (2.4 per game). ==Home court==