On May 4, 2012, Ryan Kane was named the 26th head coach in the history of the Ripon College men's basketball program. In addition to his coaching duties, Kane is also in his third year as Director of Athletics at Ripon College.
In his 10 seasons as head coach, Kane has led Ripon to a 151-78 overall record, which includes an 115-49 record in conference games. The Red Hawks have appeared in the four-team MWC Tournament eight times during Kane's tenure, winning the Tournament in 2017 and 2020 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament in both years. During the 2021-22 season, Kane led Ripon to its first MWC regular season championship in 23 years, earning hosting rights for the MWC Tournament for the first time since 1999.
The Red Hawks have won at least 15 games in eight consecutive seasons (not counting the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season), which is the second-longest such streak in program history. They have compiled a 74-26 home record during Kane's tenure, making Weiske Gymnasium one of the toughest places to play in the MWC.
In his 10 seasons at the helm, Kane has coached five MWC Players of the Year (Taylor Koth, Ty Sabin (three times), and Trent Jones), a Central Region Rookie of the Year (Sabin), three All-Americans (Koth and Sabin (twice)), and 13 All-Conference selections.
During his tenure at Ripon, Kane's teams have set single season school records for points (2,174), 3-pointers made (218), and free throw percentage (.797). In the 2016-17 season, Ripon led all 416 NCAA Division-III men's basketball teams in both field goal percentage (.516) and 3-point percentage (.452).
A native of Green Bay, Wis. and a Pulaski High School product, Kane came to Ripon after spending four years as the top assistant coach at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he coordinated all aspects of the recruiting process and was instrumental in the development of seven All-Conference selections and one All-Region performer. Prior to his time at Loras, Kane spent one year as an assistant coach at MWC-rival Lawrence University and a five-year stint at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill., while also coaching one year at Ashwaubenon High School.
Kane is a 1999 graduate of St. Norbert College, where he earned a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Leadership Studies, while participating on the Green Knights' basketball and golf teams. As a senior, Kane earned the basketball team's Most Improved Player award, as part of a St. Norbert team that recorded their highest win total in 17 years. Kane was also a four-year member and two-year captain on the golf team, helping the team win four MWC North Division championships. Kane went on to receive his Master's Degree in Sports Administration from Valparaiso University in 2007.
A Region Chair for the NCAA National Tournament Committee, Kane also serves as a member of the Bevo Francis Award Committee and is a Certified Trainer for Impact Basketball Academy. In addition to that, Kane is the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Congressman for the Midwest Conference.
Kane and his wife Paige currently reside in Ripon with their three daughters, Sadie (6) and twins Reagan and Mayla (4).
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