The University of Maine at Presque Isle has hired Dan Kane to serve as the Athletic Director for the Owls Athletics Program. Kane has also been named as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach, filling both positions vacated when Mike Holmes accepted the Athletic Director position at Franciscan University.
“I am very pleased that the University is bringing Dan Kane on board as our new Athletic Director,” UMPI President Ray Rice said. “He brings a decade of coaching, administrative, and recruitment experience from institutions such as Husson University, the University of Maine at Farmington, and, most recently, Connecticut College. His outstanding work in national-level recruitment, fundraising initiatives, and innovative admissions activities focusing on accepted scholar-athletes, will prove to be valuable assets for many years to come. I look forward to Dan’s ability to build upon the excellent foundation and significant successes that Coach Mike Holmes brought to Men’s Basketball.”
Kane, a native of Bradford, ME, spent last season as the Lead Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Connecticut College. The Camels finished 13-10 overall under the direction of Head Coach Tom Satran. From 2012 to 2015, Dan was a part of the University of Maine at Farmington coaching staff, including being named the Associate Head Coach for the 2015-16 season.
During that time, the University of Maine at Farmington had great success on the court. In 2012-13 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 Maine Men’s Basketball Coaches and Writers Association Poll while also capturing the North Atlantic Conference regular season title. The following season, the Beavers made an appearance in the NAC championship game.
While at UMF, Kane spent two years as the Admissions Special Projects Assistant, a position that allowed him to work closely with all athletic programs and serve as the Athletics Liaison to the Admissions office. As a student-athlete at Husson University, Kane spent two years as the Assistant Sports Information Director at Husson, where he collaborated not only with the coaches on campus, but also with athletic directors, sports information directors, and coaches from other campuses as well.
Kane earned his first degree, an A.S. in Accounting, from the University of Husson in 2009. He then went on to the University of Maine at Farmington, where he earned his B.S. in Community Health Education/School Health in 2012. It was at that point that he accepted the position at UMF as the Assistant Basketball Coach and decided to continue his education. In 2014, he earned his M.Ed. in Kinesiology and Physical Education from the University of Maine, graduating summa cum laude with a 3.973 GPA.
Kane is no stranger to success, having played one season at Husson before transferring and finishing his career at Farmington. During his playing career, Dan participated in the NCAA Division III National Tournament twice (2009 and 2010), and was a part of multiple North Atlantic Conference Championship Teams. As a team captain in 2012, Kane was named the University of Maine at Farmington Scholar Athlete of the Year, as well as being awarded the University of Farmington 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 amongst the nation’s leaders in assists per game as he averaged 5.6 assists per game in his senior season, scored 5.8 points per game, and collected 3.3 rebounds a game while leading the Beavers to a 16-11 record.
“I feel fortunate to return to Maine and have the opportunity to continue my career at such a special place as the University of Maine at Presque Isle,” said Kane. “It is an exciting time for the university since the recent move to the American Collegiate Athletic Association. I look forward to not only building on the recent success of the Men’s Basketball program, but also helping the Athletics program reach its great potential.”
Kane begins his duties on campus on June 1.
http://owls.umpi.edu/general/2016-17/releases/20170524it9y4r
