Ripon College announced today that Men’s Head Basketball Coach Ryan Kane has been named the new Director of Athletics. Kane will continue to serve as the head men’s basketball coach in addition to his new duties.
“Ryan Kane is a charismatic and dynamic leader who cares about the community and has a track record of building highly successful and engaged programs,” said Ripon College President Zach Messitte. “I look forward to working closely with him as he continues the tradition of athletic excellence that Ripon is known for in NCAA Division-III sports.”
Kane has served as Ripon’s Head Men’s Basketball Coach since 2012, and led the team to the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament six times in his seven years at the helm of the Red Hawks. With a career record of 111-61, Kane is the fastest to reach the 100-win milestone in the program’s storied history. In 2017, Ripon’s men’s basketball team won the MWC Tournament Championship for the first time in 15 years. In just seven years, Kane has coached four MWC Players of the Year, a Central Region Rookie of the Year, three All-Americans and 10 All-Conference selections.
“I am thrilled to accept this new opportunity to serve Ripon College and our athletic department,” said Kane. “Our department is filled with great people who make this a special place to be a student-athlete. I hope to continue that culture of excellence and take full advantage of the momentum created on our campus with the addition of the newly renovated Willmore Center.”
In his new role, Kane will lead a Ripon athletics program that comprises 21 varsity sports and a growing roster of student-athletes and alumni. He will oversee the development and execution of departmental and student-wellness programming, liaison with the NCAA and MWC, and manage the day-to-day operations of the department.
Kane served on the committee for the Athletic Department’s annual “Doc” Weiske ’50 Memorial Golf Scramble and on a variety of academic and athletic college committees. He is a member of the NCAA Regional Advisory Council for the MWC, serves as a member of the Bevo Francis Award Committee and as a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Congressman for the MWC. He has organized community service projects for the men’s basketball team with a number of local organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, Honor Flight, the Boy Scouts of America, Children’s Hospitals, the Chamber of Commerce and Ripon Area Rotary. In 2017, he received the Ripon College Presidential Award for General Excellence.
A native of Green Bay, Wis., Kane received his undergraduate degree from St. Norbert College in Communications with a minor in Leadership Studies. He received his Master’s degree from Valparaiso University in Sports Administration. Prior to coming to Ripon in 2012, Kane served as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Dominican University, Lawrence University and Loras College.
https://riponredhawks.com/news/2019/8/19/baseball-ripon-names-ryan-kane-director-of-athletics.aspx