Howard Cann

Howard Cann (1895-1992)

Teams coached: NYU Violets
NYU record: 409-232 (.638)
Overall record: 409-232 (.638)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0  (Runner-up in 1945)
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  3  (1943, 1945, 1946)
• NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  0
• NCAA Tournament Final Four:  1  (1945)
• NIT Championships:  0  (Runner-up in 1948)
• NIT Appearances:  4  (1938, 1948, 1949, 1952)
• Metro NY Regular Season Champion:  5  (1934, 1938, 1946, 1948, 1957)
• Premo-Porretta National Championships:  1  (1935)
• Helms Foundation National Championships:  1  (1935)

Awards:

• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 1968)
• National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2006)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1923-1958

NYU

Howard Cann Facts

• Howard Goodsell Cann
• Born October 11, 1895
• Died December 18, 1992
• Hometown: Bridgeport, Connecticut
• Alma Mater: New York University (BS, 1920)
• Attended Barringer HS (NJ) and the High School of Commerce in NYC before going on to NYU
  • His father, Frank, was the director of physical education at NYU and one-time football coach
  • Was the leading scorer of the basketball team and captain of the football team
    • Played for head basketball coaches Billy Lush, Harry Haring and Ed Thorp
  • Temporarily left school in 1917 to serve in the US Navy during World War I
    • His younger brother, Tedford, earned the Medal of Honor his service as an officer in the Naval Reserve
  • Competed in the shot put at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, finishing in 8th
• Returned to NYU to coach the basketball team in 1923, leading the Violets for the next 35 years
  • Went 409-232 overall and claimed five Metro NY Conference titles
  • Appeared in four NITs (was Runner-up in 1948) and three NCAA Tournaments (was Runner-up in 1945)
  • His 1933-34 team finished an undefeated 16-0 and then a year later went 18-1; the 1934-35 team was retroactively named National Champions by the Helms Foundation and Premo-Porretta
  • Spent two years as the NYU head football coach, going 7-7-1 overall
  • Retired from coaching in 1958 after spending his entire career at NYU
    • NYU’s athletic program disbanded in 1971 due to budget and returned in 1983 to competition in Division III
• Inducted into the Naismith Basketball HOF in 1968 and was in the inaugural 2006 class of the National College Basketball HOF
• Along with his wife, Janet, had one son, Howard, Jr.

Howard Cann Coaching Tree

• Ben Carnevale (Navy, North Carolina)
• Satch Sanders (Harvard)
• Dolph Schayes (Buffalo Braves, Philadelphia 76ers)