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{{Short description|American sportsman (1895–1992)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Howard Cann
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1895|10|11}}
| birth_place = [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1992|12|18|1895|10|11}}
| death_place = [[Dobbs Ferry, New York]], U.S.
| player_years1 = 1914–1917
| player_team1 = [[NYU Violets|NYU]]
| player_years2 = 1919–1920
| player_team2 = NYU
| player_positions = [[Forward (basketball)|Forward]]
| coach_sport1 = Basketball
| coach_years2 = 1923–1958
| coach_team2 = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU]]
| coach_sport3 = Football
| coach_years4 = 1932–1933
| coach_team4 = [[NYU Violets football|NYU]]
| overall_record = 409–232 (basketball)<br>7–7–1 (football)
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = [[Helms Athletic Foundation|Helms]] championship (1935)<br>[[Premo-Porretta Power Poll|Premo-Porretta]] championship (1935)<br>5 [[Metropolitan New York Conference]] (1934, 1938, 1946, 1948, 1957)
| awards = 
| coaching_records = 
| BASKHOF_year = 1968
| CBBASKHOF_year = 2006
| BASKHOF_id = howard-cann
}}
'''Howard Goodsell Cann''' (October 11, 1895 – December 18, 1992) was an American [[Sportsperson|sportsman]] best known as the long-time men's [[basketball]] coach at [[New York University]]. He was also an [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] [[shot put]]ter and a college basketball and [[American football|football]] player.

== Playing career ==
Cann was born in [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], into a family of accomplished sportsmen. His father, [[Frank Cann]], was the director of physical education at New York University, which both Howard and his younger brother [[Tedford Cann]] attended. Tedford was an Olympic swimmer and world-record holder in the 200 meter [[Freestyle swimming|freestyle]].

Howard first attended [[Barringer High School]] in [[Newark, New Jersey]], and then the High School of Commerce in [[New York City]]. At Commerce he was captain of the basketball team, member of the track team and member of the [[Omega Gamma Delta]] fraternity.

He briefly attended [[Dartmouth College]] and then transferred to New York University. During his freshman year in 1914, Howard was the leading scorer on the [[New York University Violets|NYU Violets]] men's basketball team. He was captain of the 1916–1917 football team, where he played as a [[Offensive tackle|tackle]], a [[punter (American football)|punter]], and also played in the backfield.

Cann's college career was interrupted by [[World War I]]. He left NYU and, along with his brother Tedford, joined the [[United States Navy]]. Howard resumed his studies at NYU in 1919, after the end of the war.

In 1920, Cann led the NYU basketball team to an [[Amateur Athletic Union]] National Championship title and was named the [[Helms Athletic Foundation]] [[Helms Foundation Player of the Year|Player of the Year]] as well as an All-American. A group of newspaper sportswriters also named him as the greatest player in the history of basketball to that date. As a member of the [[track and field]] team, he won the [[shot put]] competitions at the [[Penn Relays]] and the [[IC4A]] Middle Atlantic States event. He participated in the [[1920 Summer Olympics]] in [[Antwerp]] as a shot putter, finishing [[Athletics at the 1920 Summer Olympics - Men's shot put|the competition]] in eighth place with a throw of 13.52 meters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78193 |title=Howard Cann |work=Olympedia |access-date=21 July 2021}}</ref> He had originally been scheduled to compete as a hurdler, but broke his leg. That same year, Cann graduated from NYU with a degree in [[engineering]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}

== Coaching career ==

===Basketball===
Three years after graduating from NYU, Cann returned to the school as the men's basketball coach. He coached the team for thirty-five years, from 1923 to 1958, and compiled a 429–235 record before his retirement.

His time as the basketball coach included an unbeaten 1933–34 season and a December 29, 1934 game in [[Madison Square Garden]] where NYU defeated [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]]. This first Madison Square Garden tournament helped to elevate the popularity of college basketball. Cann's [[1934–35 NYU Violets men's basketball team|1934–35 team]] finished the season with an 18–1 record and was retroactively named the national champion by the [[Helms Athletic Foundation]] and the [[Premo-Porretta Power Poll]].<ref>{{cite book|title=ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game|editor-last=ESPN|publisher=ESPN Books|location=New York, NY|year=2009|page=544|ISBN=978-0-345-51392-2}}</ref> He led the 1944–45 team to the final game of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] tournament, but lost the championship to [[Oklahoma State University]]. Cann was named National Coach of the Year in 1947, and led the Violets to the [[National Invitation Tournament]] final the next year, but was defeated by [[Saint Louis University]].

Cann retired in 1958, having spent 39 of the first 44 years of his adult life at NYU as a player and coach.

===Football===
In 1932 and 1933, Cann also coached the NYU football team. His career football coaching record at NYU was 7–7–1.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/discontinued/n/new_york/coaching_records.php|title= New York University Violets coaching records|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101213205716/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/discontinued/n/new_york/coaching_records.php|archive-date= 2010-12-13}}</ref>

===Accomplishments===

In 1968, he was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] for his accomplishments as a coach. He also served as Director of Physical Education at NYU from 1931 to retirement in 1958 and is commemorated in seven Sports Halls of Fame.

==Personal life==
Cann married Janet Cann in 1932, and they had a son, Howard Jr. Cann died at age 97 after a long illness. He was a resident of [[Irvington, New York]], at the time of his death.<ref>{{cite news |last=Goldaper |first=Sam |date=December 19, 1992 |title=Howard Cann, Longtime N.Y.U. Coach, Dies at 97 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/19/sports/howard-cann-longtime-nyu-coach-dies-at-97.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 9, 2014 }}</ref>

==Head coaching record==
===Basketball===
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason= | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU Violets]]
 | conference = Independent
 | startyear  = 1923
 | endyear    = 1933
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1923–24 NCAA men's basketball season|1923–24]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 8–8
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1924–25 NCAA men's basketball season|1924–25]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 7–7
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1925–26 NCAA men's basketball season|1925–26]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 10–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1926–27 NCAA men's basketball season|1926–27]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 4–7
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1927–28 NCAA men's basketball season|1927–28]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 8–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1928–29 NCAA men's basketball season|1928–29]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 13–5
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1929–30 NCAA men's basketball season|1929–30]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 13–3
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1930–31 NCAA men's basketball season|1930–31]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 9–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1931–32 NCAA men's basketball season|1931–32]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 6–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1932–33 NCAA men's basketball season|1932–33]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 11–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU Violets]]
 | conference = [[Metropolitan New York Conference]]
 | startyear  = 1933
 | endyear    = 1934
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1933–34 NCAA men's basketball season|1933–34]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 16–0
 | conference   = 9–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU Violets]]
 | conference = Independent
 | startyear  = 1934
 | endyear    = 1935
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = national
 | season       = [[1934–35 NCAA men's basketball season|1934–35]]
 | name         = [[1934–35 NYU Violets men's basketball team|NYU]]
 | overall      = 18–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = [[Helms Athletic Foundation|Helms]] National Champions<br>[[Premo-Porretta Power Poll|Premo-Porretta]] National Champions
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU Violets]]
 | conference = [[Metropolitan New York Conference]]
 | startyear  = 1935
 | endyear    = 1939
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1935–36 NCAA men's basketball season|1935–36]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 14–4
 | conference   = 7–1
 | confstanding = 2nd
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1936–37 NCAA men's basketball season|1936–37]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 10–6
 | conference   = 4–2
 | confstanding = 4th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1937–38 NCAA men's basketball season|1937–38]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 16–8
 | conference   = 6–0
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[1938 National Invitation Tournament|NIT Semifinals]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1938–39 NCAA men's basketball season|1938–39]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 11–11
 | conference   = 11–11
 | confstanding = 9th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU Violets]]
 | conference = Independent
 | startyear  = 1939
 | endyear    = 1942
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1939–40 NCAA men's basketball season|1939–40]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 18–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1940–41 NCAA men's basketball season|1940–41]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 13–6
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1941–42 NCAA men's basketball season|1941–42]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 12–7
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU Violets]]
 | conference = [[Metropolitan New York Conference]]
 | startyear  = 1942
 | endyear    = 1943
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1942–43 NCAA men's basketball season|1942–43]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 16–6
 | conference   = 3–2
 | confstanding = T–4th
 | postseason   = [[1943 NCAA basketball tournament|NCAA Elite Eight]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU Violets]]
 | conference = Independent
 | startyear  = 1943
 | endyear    = 1945
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1943–44 NCAA men's basketball season|1943–44]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 7–7
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1944–45 NCAA men's basketball season|1944–45]]
 | name         = [[1944–45 NYU Violets men's basketball team|NYU]]
 | overall      = 14–7
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | postseason   = [[1945 NCAA basketball tournament|NCAA Runner-up]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name       = [[NYU Violets men's basketball|NYU Violets]]
 | conference = [[Metropolitan New York Conference]]
 | startyear  = 1945
 | endyear    = 1958
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1945–46 NCAA men's basketball season|1945–46]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 19–3
 | conference   = 5–1
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | postseason   = [[1946 NCAA basketball tournament|NCAA Elite Eight]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1946–47 NCAA men's basketball season|1946–47]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 12–9
 | conference   = 3–3
 | confstanding = 4th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1947–48 NCAA men's basketball season|1947–48]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 22–4
 | conference   = 5–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[1948 National Invitation Tournament|NIT Runner-up]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1948–49 NCAA men's basketball season|1948–49]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 12–8
 | conference   = 3–2
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = [[1949 National Invitation Tournament|NIT First Round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1949–50 NCAA men's basketball season|1949–50]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 8–11
 | conference   = 1–4
 | confstanding = 6th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1950–51 NCAA men's basketball season|1950–51]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 12–4
 | conference   = 3–2
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1951–52 NCAA men's basketball season|1951–52]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 17–8
 | conference   = 2–3
 | confstanding = 5th
 | postseason   = [[1952 National Invitation Tournament|NIT First Round]]
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1952–53 NCAA men's basketball season|1952–53]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 9–11
 | conference   = 1–3
 | confstanding = 5th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1953–54 NCAA men's basketball season|1953–54]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 9–9
 | conference   = 2–2
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season|1954–55]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 7–13
 | conference   = 1–3
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1955–56 NCAA men's basketball season|1955–56]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 10–8
 | conference   = 2–2
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = [[1956–57 NCAA University Division men's basketball season|1956–57]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 8–13
 | conference   = 3–1
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | season       = [[1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball season|1957–58]]
 | name         = NYU
 | overall      = 10–11
 | conference   = 2–2
 | confstanding = 4th
 | postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = NYU
 | overall    = 409–232 ({{Winning percentage|409|232}})
 | confrecord = 73–45 ({{Winning percentage|73|45}})
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
 | overall = 409–232 ({{Winning percentage|409|232}})
}}

===Football===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[NYU Violets football|NYU Violets]]
 | conf      = Independent
 | startyear = 1932
 | endyear   = 1933
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1932 college football season|1932]]
 | name         = [[1932 NYU Violets football team|NYU]]
 | overall      = 5–3
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1933 college football season|1933]]
 | name         = [[1933 NYU Violets football team|NYU]]
 | overall      = 2–4–1
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = NYU
 | overall    = 7–7–1
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 7–7–1
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = 
 | legend   = no
}}

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{BasketballHOF|howard-cann}}

{{Navboxes|list1 = 
{{NYU Violets men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{NYU Violets football coach navbox}}
{{Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year}}
{{1920 Helms Foundation NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans}}
{{1968 Basketball HOF}}
{{Basketball Hall of Fame coaches}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1920 Summer Olympics}}
}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cann, Howard}}
[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:All-American college men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American male shot putters]]
[[Category:American men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Barringer High School alumni]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1920 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Connecticut]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Connecticut]]
[[Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:NYU Violets football coaches]]
[[Category:NYU Violets football players]]
[[Category:NYU Violets men's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:NYU Violets men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:People from Irvington, New York]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Greenburgh, New York]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Bridgeport, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Polytechnic Institute of New York University alumni]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bridgeport, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Connecticut]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]