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PRESQUE ISLE — Gavin Kane, who has coached several local high school and college teams, has been hired by the University of Maine at Presque Isle as the head coach of the women’s basketball team.
“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,” UMPI Athletic Director Dan Kane said in a news release. “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.”
Though he has previous NCAA Division I and III experience, Kane is in the New England Basketball Hall of Fame primarily for his success as a high school coach. His teams have won 17 conference championships, 12 Western Maine championships and seven state championships while compiling an overall record of 522-117.
The bulk of Kane’s success came at Dirigo High School in Dixfield. In his 13 seasons at the helm, the Cougars’ girls’ program, won state championships in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005. The Dirigo girls’ won 263 games and lost only 17 during Kane’s tenure.
From 2005-07, Kane coached both the Dirigo boys’ and girls’ squads before coaching the boys exclusively in 2007-08 and 2008-09. In four seasons under Kane, the Dirigo boys went 74-10, won three Mountain Valley Conference championships and the 2009 Western Maine championship.
Kane’s coaching career began at Rangeley, where he coached the boys’ team from 1985-94. The Lakers won the 1989 Class D state championship and compiled a 110-68 record.
Kane then moved to the University of Maine at Farmington, where he served as an assistant to men’s coach Dick Meador for two seasons.
It was during his time at UMF that he took over the Dirigo girls’ program.
From 2009-11, Kane was an assistant coach for the University of Maine women’s team.
In 2011, he returned to the high school level as the head coach of the Spruce Mountain girls’ team. The Phoenix went 55-4 and won back-to-back MVC titles under Kane.
Kane then returned to his alma mater, Mt. Blue High School, at which he was the girls coach for two seasons before stepping down in July 2016.
“My philosophy has always been based on work ethic, trust, commitment and togetherness,” Kane said in a news release. “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.”
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