Howard G. Cann

As both an outstanding player and dedicated coach, Howard Cann devoted his life to athletics at New York University. He was a Helms Foundation First Team All-American in 1920 before he began his coaching tenure. Cann was part of the New York City coaching fraternity that turned college basketball into a happening. Under Cann, NYU faced Notre Dame on December 29, 1934 in the first college game played at Madison Square Garden. When he led NYU onto the court, especially at the Garden, opponents knew winning would be tough. During Cann’s 35 seasons at NYU, his teams, including those led by future Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes,were among the most fundamentally sound and precise in the country. Named National Coach of the Year in 1947, Cann led the Violets to an undefeated season in 1933-34, a trip to the NCAA Final Four and national championship game in 1945, and to the NIT Final in 1948.