UConn Final Four appearances by year: Looking at Huskies' journey in the NCAA Tournament

It may be hard to believe now, but until the last quarter century, UConn was an NCAA Tournament afterthought. Before 1990, the Huskies had only been to a single Elite Eight. After a solid run in the 1990s, UConn finally reached its first Final Four in 1999. But seven Final Four runs have led to five national championships, with an excellent shot at a sixth ongoing.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about UConn's quarter-century of brilliance is that it rolls across three coaches. Jim Calhoun, Kevin Ollie and Dan Hurley have each won NCAA titles with the Huskies.

Here's the story of UConn's March dominance, Final Four by Final Four.

UConn: Final Four appearances by year

Richard Hamilton was instrumental in leading UConn to their first Final Four and NCAA title in 1999.

1999

The Huskies' first Final Four appearance ended up in their first national title. As a No. 1 seed, the Huskies enjoyed a 28-2 regular season. Led by Khalid El-Amin, Richard Hamilton and Jake Voskuhl, UConn rolled through its first two NCAA Tournament games easily.

The Huskies bested No. 5 seed Iowa 78-68 in the Sweet 16 and then withstood a struggle with No. 10 seed Gonzaga 67-62. A solid favorite in the national semifinals, UConn took down No. 4 seed Ohio State 64-58. Then a nine-point underdog in the title game against a Duke team perceived by many as one of the greatest in college basketball history, UConn trailed at halftime but rallied behind 27 Hamilton points to win 77-74.

2004

UConn's second Final Four was much like the first. The 27-6 Huskies got a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies were led by Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon, although four players were eventually chosen as NBA draft lottery picks. UConn rolled to the Final Four, winning each game by 16 or more points.

In the Final Four, the Huskies again faced Duke. The Blue Devils led by eight points inside the game's final three minutes, but Duke didn't make a shot in the final four-and-a-half minutes, until a meaningless shot at the buzzer trimmed UConn's final margin to a 79-78 victory. In the final, No. 3 seed Georgia Tech didn't measure up. Okafor had 24 points and UConn won 82-73.

2009

The Huskies returned to the Final Four five years later. Led by center Hasheem Thabeet, UConn took a No. 1 seed into March Madness, although it had lost its last two games to fall to 27-4.

After rolling through the first two rounds, UConn beat No. 5 seed Purdue 72-60. It won the region with an 82-75 victory over Missouri. But in the Final Four, Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans, playing near home at Ford Field, beat UConn 82-73.

2011

UConn lost four of its last five regular-season games but then won the Big East Tournament to land a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Led by Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb, UConn blasted Bucknell and outlasted Cincinnati 69-58.

In the Sweet 16, the Huskies bested San Diego State 74-67. In the regional final, they faced No. 5 seed Arizona. UA led by seven at halftime, but UConn edged past 65-63, thanks to 20 points from Walker. In the Final Four, UConn won a rock fight with Kentucky 56-55 and then faced No. 8 seed Butler for the title. Butler led by three at halftime, but UConn rallied for a 53-41 win behind 16 points from Walker.

2014

The 26-8 Huskies lost their regular-season finale by 33 points to Louisville. Limping into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed, Shabazz Napier and the Huskies righted the ship in March Madness.

It wasn't easy. It took overtime in the opener against No. 10 seed St. Joseph's. The Huskies then took down the 2, 3, and 4 seeds in order by 12, five and six points, respectively. In the Final Four, UConn flummoxed top-ranked Florida in a 63-53 win. Matched with No. 8 seed Kentucky in the final, the Huskies pulled away 60-54 behind 22 points from Napier.

2023

On the other hand, 2023 looked like a breeze for UConn. The Huskies were 25-8 and earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But UConn never played a seed ranked higher than No. 3 seed Gonzaga, which it beat by 28 in the regional final.

All four games before the Final Four were won by margins of 15 points or more. Not much changed in Houston for the last two games. The Huskies bested Miami 72-59 and then toppled San Diego State 76-59 to win the title. Jordan Hawkins, Tristen Newton and Adama Sanogo were on the Final Four all-tournament team.

2024

So far, 2024 has been more of the same. Dan Hurley is starting to get a reputation for being merciless, as he's now won 10 NCAA Tournament games, with none being competitive. So far, the Huskies' closest game was a 17-point victory over Northwestern.