After his 10th season as head coach for the Cal State LA Golden Eagles men’s basketball team, Jim Saia’s tenure has officially come to a close.
A 10-year run that included the greatest regular season in Cal State Los Angeles men’s basketball history ended with what Jim Saia is calling “a reset.” The 60-year-old coach announced he was stepping away from the program after the 2025-2026 season, following the conclusion of Saia’s last game at the University Gym, losing to Cal Poly Pomona 86-54. “Something may still be in the works elsewhere,” Saia said. “Not sure what the future holds. I am calling this a reset instead of retirement.”
Saia began coaching at Cal State LA during the 2016-2017 season, which began in June 2016. At the time, Saia was known for being a skilled professional who had helped turn around multiple programs, including those at USC, Fresno Pacific, and Cal State San Marcos. Saia came into Cal State LA with more than 30 years of coaching experience and clear goals for the program.
“I came to Cal State LA to teach student athletes to be successful on the court, in the classroom, and in life,” Saia said. “We’re going to win championships and graduate young men who will embody the University’s mission of engagement, service, and the public good.”
That message echoed through the hallways of the University Gym during his tenure. In his first season as head coach, the Golden Eagles’ offensive production increased by nearly 15 points. Saia’s most successful season was the 2023-2024 campaign, which was not only the best of his tenure at Cal State LA, but in the program’s history. Entering the season, expectations were low. The previous season, the Golden Eagles were 11-17 overall and were 8-14 in conference play. With that in mind, the team was projected to finish 8th in the conference. Instead, Saia’s squad exceeded expectations, going 24-8. The 13-game improvement from the previous season was one of the best in the nation. Jim Saia’s Golden Eagles finished 16-6 in the conference, tying a program record. The team was ranked 2nd in the region entering conference tournament play, and eventually won the 2023-2024 CCAA Tournament, the first in program history.
Saia acknowledges the challenges he and the program overcame to get to a winning status.
“Cal State LA doesn’t have all the resources, so we have to do a lot more with less,” Saia said. “Being six hours away made it even tougher, but I wanted to make sure we broke through. I’m proud of the 2023-24 season; it’s one of the seasons I’m most proud of. Every job I’ve taken has been difficult.”
Saia’s impact stretched beyond Cal State LA. Saia was the head coach at Columbia College in Northern California in Sonora for two seasons, where he finished with a 61-10 overall record and won two Central Valley Championships CVC, and won Coach of the Year twice. His 1996 team advanced to the “Final Eight” of the California junior college playoffs, and ended the season with a 30-5 record after being 31-5 the previous year.
For three seasons at Fresno Pacific, he led the Sunbirds to an overall record of 70-29, including two appearances in the NAIA National Championship and a Golden State Athletic Conference title, where he won the GSAC Coach of the Year award.
Saia later coached at Cal State San Marcos for five seasons. where he led the Cougars to a 119-37 overall record, including back-to-back 30-win seasons and A.I.I Championships in 2014 and 2015.
In addition to his head coaching experience, Saia spent 14 seasons at UCLA, which included seven seasons as the top assistant. He served one year as an interim head coach at USC. During his time with those programs, Saia was able to coach notable pro players, such as Matt Barnes, Nick Young, and Baron Davis.
Saia’s final game with the Golden Eagles came in an 86-54 loss to Pomona, which closed the book on a decade with the program.
As a known player’s coach, Saia acknowledges that the lessons he wants to instill in his athletes go far beyond basketball.
“Having God, specifically Jesus, in your life [as] the foundation for true success,” Saia said. “I hope my players knew I care about them as people, gave everything I had as their coach, and that they learned something along the way.”
Saia leaves behind an era of tremendous success: ten seasons and a 157-159 record, one CCAA during the 2023-2024 season, a place as the 13th coach in the program’s history, and as 4th all-time on the win list of coaches at CSULA. He leaves behind not just a legacy of an evolved culture, but also a program capable of playing winning basketball.
“I’m very grateful for my time at Cal State LA, and thankful for Dr. Darryl Gross for hiring me,” Saia said. “I learned a lot here. It wasn’t always easy, but I’m proud we broke through and won a championship. I hope Cal State LA continues to bring more championships in the future.”
