The Cougars advanced through the first four rounds and eventually defeated West Virginia Wesleyan 57–53 to win the 1983 NAIA Championship.

[7][8] After posting a 38–16 record through two seasons as an Independent program, the Cougars joined the Trans Atlantic Athletic Conference in 1993.

[13] Kresse led the program to four more TAAC regular season championships from 1995–1998, earning back-to-back NIT invitations in 1995 and 1996.

[16][17][18] The 1996–97 Cougars, led by TAAC Player of the Year and future NBA-player Anthony Johnson, earned the first automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament in school history.

After playing to a 29–3 record (16–0 in conference) and defeating Florida International 83–73 in the 1997 TAAC Championship Game, the Cougars would enter the 1997 NCAA Tournament as a #12 seed, despite being ranked No.

[19] Kresse's Cougars made program history by upsetting the #5 seed Maryland Terrapins 75–66 in the first round, before falling to the eventual National Champion, #4 Arizona 69–73.

The Cougars once again defeated Florida International in the TAAC Championship game, winning 72–63 to ensure their second NCAA Tournament appearance in a row, and third overall.

[23][24] During the 1998–99 season, the program transitioned from the TAAC to the Southern Conference,[25] and gained national attention after upsetting then-No.

[30] Over 23 years Kresse coached to a career record of 560–143 (.797), good for the 11th-highest winning percentage across all divisions in college basketball history.

His first Charleston team won the Great Alaska Shootout in 2002 after defeating Wyoming 81–72, Oklahoma State 66–58, and Villanova 71–69 in the championship game, earning senior guard Troy Wheless the title of Tournament MVP.

[34] Herrion's 25 victories marked the highest total of any first-year NCAA Division I head coach during the 2002–03 season.

[38] During the 2009–10 season, the Cougars were put back in the national spotlight when they upset then-No.9 North Carolina on January 4, 2010, at TD Arena.

[54] Earl Grant, a former Clemson and Wichita State assistant, was named the Cougars' 23rd all-time head coach on September 2, 2014.

[55] Charleston struggled in Grant's first year at the helm, finishing the season with just nine wins, a record-low since joining Division I.

[57] Grant got his first signature win at Charleston the following season on November 30, 2015, when the Cougars defeated LSU 70–58 at TD Arena.

After finishing the regular season with a 23–8 record and losing in the CAA Tournament final, Charleston received an at-large bid to the 2017 NIT as a five seed.

[64] His team finished the 2022–23 season with a 31–4 record, including 4 weeks in the AP Top 25 poll, a conference championship title, and an NCAA tournament appearance.

Kelsey signed an amended 5-year contract with the College of Charleston that would pay him a $1.1 million base salary,[65] making him highest paid head coach in the Coastal Athletic Association.

[67] College of Charleston president Andrew Hsu praised Kelsey upon news of his new position at Louisville, saying "he brought so much energy and excitement to Our City ... his impact goes far beyond basketball.