Wildcats

NCAA Division: Division I
Conference: Southwestern Athletic Conference
Past Conferences: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
City: Daytona Beach, Florida

Arena: Moore Gymnasium
NCAA Tournaments: 3 (Division II)
National Championships: None
Conference Titles: 2

Team History

The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats began playing basketball in 1929. The Wildcats competed at the DII level for their first fifty years. The Wildcats moved to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1980 under head coach Cy McClairen.

The Wildcats didn’t enjoy a single winning season during McClairen’s stint. The Wildcats finished with a combined 12-73 record throughout his last three seasons. He finished his career with a 99-264 overall record.

Tony Sheals coached the Wildcats from 1993-1997. The Wildcats improved under Shells, but couldn’t manage to accomplish a single winning season. Sheals finished his career with a 45-65 overall record.

Horace Broadnax coached the Wildcats from 1997-2002. After a 1-26 record in his first season, the Wildcats improved to 11 wins in his second season and 14 in his third. Unfortunately, the Wildcats had a combined 16-31 record over his final two years.

First Winning Season

Clifford Reed took over the Wildcats in 2001 midway through the season. He led the Wildcats to a 6-5 record. It took Reed seven seasons for the Wildcats to break through with a winning season. They finished with a winning record in each of his final three seasons. The 2010-2011 season finished 21-13. The season ended with the Wildcats winning the regular season MEAC Championship. Reed finished with a 125-167 overall record.

Gravelle Craig took over in 2011. After going 18-17 in his first season, the Wildcats failed to finish with a winning record under Craig. He finished his career in 2017 with a 74-123 overall record.

Ryan Ridder coached the Wildcats for three seasons. He led the Wildcats to an 18-14 season. They finished with the best record in the MEAC and were crowned regular season champions. He finished his career at Bethune with a 48-45 overall record. The Wildcats moved to the SWAC ahead of the 2021 season.

Reggie Theus is the current coach at Bethune Cookman. He currently has a 13-40 overall record.

All-Time Records (CBB)

• Points Scored

  • Reggie Cunningham: 1,887
  • Clifford Reed: 1,654
  • Latroy Strong: 1,387
  • Jarvis Smith: 1,363
  • Freddie Cole: 1,317

• Rebounds

  • Don Hill: 763
  • Michael Williams: 756
  • Reggie Cunningham: 729
  • Cletrell Pope: 722
  • Alexander Starling: 681

• Assists

  • Clifford Reed: 429
  • Julious Grant: 382
  • Tyris Livas: 335
  • Malik Maitland: 307
  • Ricky Johnson: 295

FAQs

What Is the Highest Win Total in Program History?

The 2010-2011 Wildcats won 21 games. They were led by guard Clifford Reed. He averaged nearly 19 points per game.

What Was the Worst Season in Program History?

The 1997-1998 Wildcats finished with an abysmal 1-26 overall record. The Wildcats averaged just under 61 points per game, while surrendering 79 points per game.

How Many NCAA Tournaments Have the Wildcats Made?

The Wildcats have made the NCAA Tournament three times at the Division II level. They’ve never made it at the Division I level.