James Phelan may refer to: James Phelan (American football) (1892–1974), American football player and coach James Phelan (literary scholar) (born 1951), American literary critic James Phelan Jr. (1856–1891), American politician, son of James Phelan, Sr. James Phelan Sr. (1821–1873), Confederate States of America politician James Clancy Phelan (born 1979), Australian thriller writer James D. Phelan (1861–1930), American politician; Mayor of San Francisco and U.S. Senator from California Jim Phelan (basketball) (1929–2021), American college basketball coach Jim Phelan (Irish writer) (1899–1966), Irish tramp who wrote on tramp and prison life Jimmy Phelan (hurler) (1917–2006), Irish hurler , a World War II Liberty ship