The University of Maine at Presque Isle is proud to announce the hire of New England Basketball Hall of Famer and longtime basketball coach Gavin Kane as its new head women’s basketball coach starting immediately. Kane takes over for Traci Halvorson who stepped down in July who led the Owls to an 8-16 record this past season.
Kane is best known around the state of Maine for his unparalleled success as a high school coach, but also has NCAA Division I and Division III coaching experience with assistant coaching stints with the University of Maine women’s basketball team (2009-2011) and the University of Maine at Farmington men’s basketball team (1994-1996).
“I am very excited to have Gavin Kane joining our athletic department as we continue to strive to be one of the more competitive NCAA Division III schools in the state,” said Athletic Director, Dan Kane. “Gavin brings with him a wealth of success and coaching experience that I think will help transform not only our women’s basketball program, but will also serve as a great resource to other coaches in the department.”
Kane’s coaching resume includes 17 conference championships, 12 Western Maine Championships, seven state championships, and an overall head coaching record of 522-117.
Kane started his coaching career at Rangeley Regional High School where he led the Rangeley boy’s varsity team to a 110-68 overall record from 1985-1994, highlighted with capturing the 1989 Class D State of Maine Championship. Kane moved to the college ranks as an assistant coach for Maine Basketball Hall of Fame member Dick Meader at the University of Maine at Farmington for the next two seasons where Gavin was involved directly with scouting, recruiting, practice instruction, and player development.
While also spending time as an assistant at UMF, Kane took over the girl’s varsity basketball program at neighboring Dirigo High School in Dixfield, ME. The next 13 seasons leading the Dirigo Cougars would prove to be one of the most dominant stretches in Maine High School basketball history as the Cougars would go on to amass a 263-17 overall record, including state championships in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005. Dirigo also broke a state record, winning 11 consecutive Western Maine Championships from 1995-2005.
From 2005-2007, Coach Kane would take on the task of coaching both the Dirigo girl’s and boy’s varsity teams, before moving over to coach the boy’s team exclusively for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons. During his four seasons at the helm of the Dirigo boy’s program Kane compiled a 74-10 record which included three consecutive Mountain Valley Conference championships (2007-2009) and a Western Maine Championship in 2009.
In 2009, Kane returned to the college ranks serving as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team at the University of Maine. During his time at Umaine Kane led recruiting efforts across the United States and Canada. Along with recruiting efforts, Kane spent time with opponent scouting and game preparation, player development, and held many administrative duties which included coordinating the Umaine Women’s Basketball Youth Summer Camp. Kane successfully recruited Ashleigh Roberts to the Black Bears where Roberts would go on to be named America East Rookie of the Week five times.
After the 2010-2011 season, Kane returned to western Maine where he coached the Spruce Mountain varsity girls, leading them to a combined 55-4 record, including back to back Mountain Valley Conference Championships in 2013 and 2014 before moving to his alma mater Mt. Blue High School of Farmington, ME. Kane coached the lady Cougars for two seasons from 2014-2016.
At every stop along the way Kane’s philosophy has stayed the same. “My philosophy has always been based on work ethic, trust, commitment and togetherness,” Kane said. “With these team characteristics we will enjoy success sooner rather than later. I’m honored to have the opportunity to join the staff at the University of Maine at Presque Isle and I look forward to bringing my coaching experience to the women’s basketball program at UMPI.”
http://owls.umpi.edu/general/2017-18/releases/20170816ywyx95
Tagged with: DIII Kane UMPI
