Dan Kane was named the University of Maine at Presque Isle Director of Athletics and Head Men’s Basketball Coach in June of 2017. Under his guidance, the athletics department has seen unprecedented growth amongst their athletic programs which has resulted in an improved overall experience for UMPI student-athletes as well as increased campus and community support.
Kane skillfully navigated UMPI’s acceptance as a full member into the North Atlantic Conference for the Fall of 2018 serving as the first time UMPI was able to compete in a regional NCAA conference in school history with automatic qualifiers to the NCAA National Tournament. Over the past six years the Owls have seen a large increase in student athlete enrollment and competitiveness amongst their NCAA counterparts. In the playoffs the Owls are 3-4 including one conference championship appearance and two semifinal conference appearances.
Along with his administrative duties, Coach Kane also serves as the head men’s basketball coach. Over the past six years Kane has helped rebuild the UMPI men’s basketball program into one of the top programs in the state and a perennial contender within the North Atlantic Conference. In only six seasons at the helm Kane currently sits 3rd all time in program wins and holds four program records. The Owls hold a 68-70 overall record, 27-27 conference record, and have advanced to the conference playoffs every season under Coach Kane.
This past season the Owls reached new heights defeating NAC rival Husson University in the NAC East Semifinals, 97-87, before eventually falling in the NAC East Championship. UMPI battled injuries early in the season falling to a 3-11 record to start the year. However, in January the team would hit their stride, winning 10 of their last 13 games finishing with a 13-14 record. The strong finish helped the Owls finish 4th in the Maine State Coaches Poll, ahead of basketball powers such as Bowdoin, Husson, St. Joseph’s, and Bates. This was UMPI’s first finish in the Top 5 Poll since the 1990s.
Kane was named Maine State Coach of the Year by the Maine Coaches and Writers Association for the 2021-2022 season. The Owls finished with their best record since 1997 with an overall record of 15-10. The Owls started off the season 4-7, but went on to go 11-3 in their last 14 games, including a 83-71 NAC Quarter Final victory over Thomas College. This was their second year in a row with a NAC Quarter Final victory over the Terriers of Thomas as the Owls defeated Thomas 87-86 in 2020.
In his first season at the helm Kane took a program that had only four players on the roster when he arrived in June of 2017 and broke the UMPI men’s basketball record for most NCAA wins in a season while advancing to the American Collegiate Athletic Association Conference Championship before falling to Pine Manor in the title game 62-53.
Kane credits great players who have bought into what we do as a program as the reason for our recent success. Player recognition over the past five seasons include:
Conference Awards
? 7 All-Conference Selections
? 3 Conference Rookie of the Year Awards
? Conference Defensive Player of the Year Award
? Multiple Player and Rookie of the Week Awards
State Awards
? 5 All-State Rookie Team Selections
? 3 All-Rookie Team
? 2 All-Defensive Team
National Awards
? 5 NABC Honors
Kane also volunteers as the Chair of the Maine Men’s Basketball Coaches and Writer’s Association which produces weekly and end of the year awards to help highlight accomplishments amongst NCAA Division III basketball programs in the state of Maine. The MMBCWA is an association that has been around for over 60 years and is a tradition held closely to many in the state of Maine basketball scene. While Kane delivers the weekly reports, Coaches & Sports Information Directors from across the state vote on End of the Year Awards. Kane is also an active member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and serves as the NABC Region 1 representative for the NCAA Division III All American Committee.
Prior to UMPI, Kane served as the lead assistant men’s basketball coach at Connecticut College for the 2016-2017 season. Kane focused most of his efforts on recruiting, game preparation, and practice planning and implementation. The Camels had one of their best seasons in the past ten years, finishing the season 13-10. Kane would help bring in six players in the 2017 recruiting class, including the 2017-2018 leading scorer
amongst first year players in the NESCAC.
Kane started his professional career at the University of Maine at Farmington where he served four years on the men’s basketball coaching staff, two of which also working in the UMF Admissions Office as a Special Projects Assistant. During this time the Beavers had great success on the court. In 2012-2013, the Beavers tied a school record for wins in a season with 21 wins. UMF finished the season as the top ranked team in the state of Maine by the MMBCWA, while also capturing the North Atlantic Conference regular season title. The following season, the Beavers made an appearance in the NAC championship game falling in overtime.
While at UMF Kane oversaw recruiting, game preparation, and practice implementation. His last recruiting class at UMF resulted in one of the best single season recruiting classes in program history that resulted in numerous all-conference selections and four 1,000-point scorers.
Kane is also a veteran clinician where he has spent many of his summers on the road working at some of the most prestigious camps across the nation. These camps include but are not limited to: Duke, Billy Donovan Basketball Camp (Florida), Kevin Ollie Basketball Camp (UConn), Yale, Columbia, Army West Point, HoopGroup, Pine Tree & Pine Tree 2. Kane also has run many camps and clinics of his own at various schools and spent two years as the site director for Tri Town Basketball Camp out of Hermon, ME.
Kane had a successful playing career, playing his first season at Husson University where he was part of the 2008-2009 NAC championship team. The following season after transferring to UMF he worked his way into becoming the team’s 6th man as UMF would go on to win the 2009-2010 NAC championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA National Tournament. In his final two seasons for the Beavers, Kane started at point guard, highlighted by his senior season where he captained the team to a 16-win season and was amongst the national leaders in assists per game (17th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (27th). Kane was named UMF Scholar Athlete of the Year, as well as being awarded the UMF Beaver Award, which is given annually to a student-athlete that embodies sportsmanship, school spirit, the drive for excellence, and most importantly, Beaver Pride. Kane was also named to the NAC All-Academic Team and the NABC Honors Court.
Kane earned his Master’s of Education in Kinesiology and Physical Education with a concentration in Exercise Science from the University of Maine, a Bachelor’s of Science in Community Health with a concentration in School Health and a minor in Coaching from the University of Maine at Farmington, and an Associate’s in Accounting from Husson University.
Coaching Experience
2017-Present Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation/Head Men’s Basketball Coach, University of Maine at Presque Isle
2016-17 Assistant Coach, Connecticut College
2015-16 Associate Head Coach, University of Maine at Farmington
2012-15 Assistant Coach, University of Maine at Farmington
