University of North Texas Athletics

Jimmy Gales was the head coach of the Mean Green basketball team from 1986-87 to 1992-93, in addition to serving as an assistant under former coach Bill Blakeley from 1975 to 1983.

Gales' teams won 84 games during his tenure as head coach and was the first coach to ever lead the Mean Green men's team to the NCAA Tournament. His 1987-88 team won its last nine regular-season games to win the Southland Conference regular-season championship, then won two games to capture the Southland Conference Tournament title and represent the league in the NCAA Tournament.

Under Gales, the North Texas 1988-89 team also won the Southland Conference regular season championship. Twice during Gales' seven-year tenure, the Mean Green won 17 games in a season.

He received a masters degree from North Texas in Public School Administration, and for 11 years, Gales was an assistant principal at James Madison High School in Dallas.