LOS ANGELES – Cal State LA men's basketball head coach Jim Saia, who has orchestrated some of the best seasons in program history, has announced the 2025-26 season will be his last for the Golden Eagles.

Saia led Cal State LA to its best season ever in 2023-24 when the Golden Eagles smashed a program single-season record with 24 wins, won their first-ever California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament Championship and finished with a national ranking of 17 by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

Cal State LA also earned the No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Division II West Region and hosted the eight-team regional for the first time in school history.

"I am forever grateful for my time here at Cal State LA," Saia said. "After much discussion with my family, I have decided that this will be my last year at Cal State LA. I want to give a special thank you to (Cal State LA Executive Director for Intercollegiate Athletics) Dr. Daryl Gross for hiring me nine years ago. It has been a great ride so far and I am hopeful for a great ending."

Saia is the 13^th head coach in the program's history and his 112 wins are fourth all-time, behind only Sax Elliott (171 wins), Stephen Thompson (126) and Bob Miller (124).

His 100^th win at Cal State LA was a memorable one as it came when the Golden Eagles beat Cal State San Bernardino, 73-62, in the CCAA Tournament final in San Bernardino. That win was also the 299^th of his outstanding collegiate coaching career, which spanned stints at Fresno Pacific and Cal State San Marcos and also included nearly one full season as the interim head coach at USC.

Win No. 300 for Saia came on Nov. 13, 2024 in an 86-59 win over Fresno Pacific in University Gym.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude to Coach Jim Saia for transforming the men's basketball program. Under his leadership, he has shown that success at the highest level is truly achievable," Gross said. "Beyond the court, his program has also achieved remarkable success academically and reached some its highest grade point averages and graduation rates in history. He has created a culture that emphasizes leadership, character, and personal growth. His faith, teaching and guidance have been inspiring, showcasing his exemplary ability to lead and mentor young athletes."

Saia enters the 2025-26 season with a collegiate career record of 311-196 and, including two successful seasons at the junior college level, has an overall coaching record of 372-206 as a head coach.

He also has 14 years of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level, including seven years as the top assistant coach at UCLA and one year at USC, where he was the interim head coach for most of the season.

"Jim is truly one of the most insightful and strategic coaches in college basketball," Gross said. "His experience, knowledge, and ability to develop players both on and off the court are unmatched. It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside of him over the years and I deeply value the enduring friendship we have built. He has established a strong foundation for the future, setting the program on a path toward sustained excellence in basketball."

Saia began invigorating Cal State LA's program in his first season in 2016-17, increasing the Golden Eagles' offensive output by nearly 15 points per game.
He led the Golden Eagles to an 18-12 record in 2018-19 as they posted the most wins for the program since 2000. Cal State LA beat San Francisco State in overtime in San Francisco in a memorable first-round CCAA Tournament game that included a pair of power outages lasting nearly 45 minutes. The Golden Eagles then battled Cal Poly Pomona in a CCAA tournament-record four overtimes before falling in the semifinals, 102-99.

The program's breakthrough came in a big way in 2023-24 when the Golden Eagles went 24-8 and eclipsed the previous Cal State LA record of 20 wins. Cal State LA was 16-6 in conference play, which tied a program record, and was ranked No. 2 in the region entering conference tournament play.

Saia then led the Golden Eagles to wins over San Francisco State (84-62), Cal State Dominguez Hills (75-73) and Cal State San Bernardino (73-62) to earn the CCAA Tournament title and secure the program's first NCAA bid since 2000.

Cal State LA will open the 2025-26 season with a home game against Biola on Nov. 14 at noon as part of the CCAA/PacWest Challenge.