Hobdy went 572-288 as head coach from 1957 to 1986, which saw them play in NCAA Division II and the NAIA.

They reached the Elite Eight of the Division II tournament in 1958 and won the NAIA title in 1961. Notable players during this time were Willis Reed, who was an NAIA All-American before becoming drafted by the New York Knicks; Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.

In 1986, Hobdy retired, later serving as athletic director for the program from 1989 to 1996 prior to his death in 1998 (years later, Grambling's new Assembly Center would be named after him).

[4] The 1986-87 team won the regular season championship but were walloped 105-55 by Southern in the SWAC Final.

On March 16, 2024, Grambling won the 2024 SWAC tournament after winning the regular season title, defeating the three-time defending champion Texas Southern, earning its first NCAA tournament bid in program history.