Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons men's basketball

The Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball team that represents Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW). They have been a member of the Horizon League since 2020 (departing from the Summit League after thirteen years). Formerly, they represented the now defunct Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). The team has yet to participate in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The Mastodons are coached by Jon Coffman and play their home games at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center and the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. History The Mastodons' first season was 1973–74. Two-time All-American and conference player of the year Sean Gibson (1993) is the current all-time leading rebounder and Hall of Fame member. In 2013, Frank Gaines passed Gibson to be the Mastodons all-time leading scorer. Their first season in Division I was 2001–02. In 2007, the Mastadons joined the Summit League. Before joining NCAA Division I athletics, IPFW competed in NCAA Division II's Great Lakes Valley Conference. In 2014, IPFW reach their first Summit League tournament championship before losing to North Dakota State. Beginning in 2016, the school rebranded itself from IPFW to Fort Wayne to build a stronger tie to the Fort Wayne community. The transition only affected the athletic department's branding efforts. The university's IPFW academic brand remained unchanged.