Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

School: Uniontown | Sport: Basketball

Bestowed the nickname “Lash” for his “whiplash-like” arm when throwing out baserunners as a catcher for the Saint Vincent baseball team, James Nesser starred in three sports (baseball, basketball, football) for the Bearcats after completing three years of military service, then embarked on a Hall of Fame coaching career in basketball. Nesser posted a 680-297 career record between Uniontown St. John and Uniontown, capturing two WPIAL titles (1975, 1981) and the PIAA 3A championship in 1981. He is one of a very few number of scholastic basketball coaches to have led teams to PIAA and PCIAA state championships, as he guided Uniontown St. John to the 1965 PCIAA state title over Williamsport St. Joseph, 64-62, and two other PCIAA final four berths in 1962 and 1976. After Uniontown St. John following the 1975-76 school year, Nesser moved to Uniontown and won 246 of 310 games, good for a .794 winning percentage. His 1981 Uniontown team did not boast a player taller than six-foot-two, but despite this it claimed WPIAL and PIAA glory, winning the latter with a 73-61 triumph over Springfield Delco. Nesser passed away on December 2, 1988 at the age of 67, and has been posthumously inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame.