Following-up on something that I first reported back on 6/28 (D3 DIRT). Ryan Cain has officially been named as the new head basketball coach at Johns Hopkins University. Here’s the statement from JHU:
Johns Hopkins Associate Vice Provost and Director of Athletics & Recreation Jennifer S. Baker announced the appointment of Ryan Cain as the school’s head men’s basketball coach today. Cain, who most recently served as the head coach at Keene State (NH) for the last eight seasons, replaces Josh Loeffler, who was named an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati; he becomes the 17th men’s basketball coach in Johns Hopkins history.
Cain will inherit a Johns Hopkins team that posted a 25-5 record and advanced to the NCAA’s Sweet 16 for the third time in program history last season. The Blue Jays are set to return two of their top three scorers and four players who started 19 or more games a year ago. In the last five seasons, Johns Hopkins has won three Centennial Conference titles, advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times and compiled a record of 114-27 (.808), including a 77-13 (.855) mark in the Centennial.
“I am thrilled to welcome Ryan and his family to Johns Hopkins,” Baker stated. “As we had hoped, we had an exceptionally high level of interest in this position and Ryan quickly elevated himself among a talented and diverse group of candidates. While his proven record of success at the national level was obvious from the outset, it was his ability to connect with members of our selection committee and student-athletes and share a vision of Blue Jay basketball that aligns perfectly with the goals and aspirations we have for the program that truly set him apart. We look forward to working closely with and supporting him as he continues to build on the high level of success our team has enjoyed on the court, while also leading and mentoring our players as they pursue their academic and career goals.”
Cain guided the Owls to a record of 146-66 (.689) during his eight-year tenure with five, 20-win seasons and five trips to the NCAA Tournament. Under Cain’s guidance, Keene State advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2017, the Sweet 16 in 2016 and 2023 and the second round of the tournament in 2022.
Keene State posted a 28-2 record to set a program record for victories during the 2022-23 season. The Owls finished the season ranked 10th in the final D3hoops.com Poll and were ranked as high as fourth in the nation during the season; they boasted winning streaks of 15 and 13 games during their run to the Sweet 16 and finished third in the nation in winning percentage (.933) and tied for fifth in victories.
The 2022-23 season was the latest in a long line of successful campaigns for the Owls under Cain’s direction. In addition to the five trips to the NCAA Tournament in eight years, the Owls won four Little East Conference (LEC) Tournament titles (2016, 2019, 2022, 2023) and a pair of LEC regular season titles (2019, 2023). Keene State rolled up an 86-30 (.741) LEC record during Cain’s time with the Owls, including a 28-4 (.875) mark over the last two seasons.
“I am very excited to be the next head men’s basketball coach at Johns Hopkins University and fortunate to join the top Division III athletic department in the country,” Cain noted. “I would like to thank Jen Baker and the entire search committee for the opportunity. I look forward to building on the foundation established by Coach Loeffler and can’t wait to get started.”
Cain earned LEC Coach of the Year honors in 2019 and 2023 and was the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Region 2 Coach of the Year in 2023. He coached three All-Americans, two Northeast Region Players of the Year, eight All-New England selections, two LEC Players of the Year and 10 of his players at Keene State earned first or second team All-LEC honors.
Prior to his eight-year run leading the Owls, Cain served as an assistant coach for eight seasons at his alma mater, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). There, he helped lead the Engineers to an eight-year record of 174-47 (.787), six trips to the NCAA Tournament, five New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season titles and one NEWMAC Tournament title; the Engineers won at least 20 games in each of Cain’s eight seasons on the staff.
Cain played collegiately at WPI and graduated in 2007 with a degree in civil engineering. On the court, he remains the Engineers’ all-time leading scorer (1,813 points), won the 2007 Jostens Trophy as the top student-athlete in Division III and was a Third Team NABC and D3hoops.com All-American in 2007 as well. He guided the Engineers to an 89-20 record during his career with three trips to the NCAA Tournament, four NEWMAC regular season titles and two tournament championships. Cain was recently named to the NEWMAC’s 25-Year Anniversary Team.
The Ryan Cain File
Personal
Hometown: Webster, MA
High School: St. John’s
College: WPI (Class of 2007)
Major: Civil Engineering
Playing Career
2003-07: WPI
Coaching Career
2007-15: WPI (Assistant Coach)
2015-23: Keene State (Head Coach)
Coaching Honors & Achievements at Keene State
Record: 146-66 (.689)
Conference Titles (Reg. Season): 2 (2019, 2023)
Conference Titles (Tournament): 4 (2016, 2019, 2022, 2023)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 5 (2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023)
