A football and basketball player, James “Jimmy” Needles (1900–1969) attended college at Santa Clara University and then St. Ignatius College (now the University of San Francisco). He was a half back for The Olympic Club football teams from 1921–1925 and led the 1925 team to the Club’s first undefeated season, highlighted by a decisive victory over Cal’s Wonder Team. He played in the first East-West football game.
He coached basketball and football for SI College from 1924–1931. He also coached the US Olympic team that won the first gold medal in basketball competition at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Later, he was appointed basketball and football coach (1936-1940) at Loyola Marymount. Among his basketball players were Pete Newell and Phil Woolpert, future Hall of Fame coaches.
He returned to USF serving as athletic director in 1941, basketball coach 1942–1944, and was instrumental in the 1946 coaching appointments of Newell at USF and Woolpert at St. Ignatius High School; the latter succeeded Newell at USF in 1951.
His basketball coaching legacy is one of innovation, strategy and teaching. His teams were known for tough transition defense, tempo control, and motion offense. He was one of the first to introduce the reverse-action offense, the forerunner of today’s game.
