Christian named Head Coach at Canisius

Jim Christian was officially named the next head men’s basketball Coach at Canisius, the school announced Monday.

“Jim Christian comes to Canisius with a proven track record of 19 years of head coaching experience, a solid reputation as a leader who develops young men into successful teams and a commitment to being an engaging campus partner who understands and appreciates the Jesuit mission of Canisius University,” Canisius AD Bill Maher said in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome Jim, and his family, to Canisius and the city of Buffalo. I look forward to working with him as we build this program, focused on our goal of competing for MAAC Championships.”

Christian was the Assistant Athletic Director of Basketball Administration the last two seasons at Kent State, serving in an advisory role to Head Coach Rob Senderoff and the program.

“It is an honor and a privilege for me to be named the next head men’s basketball coach at Canisius University,” Christian said. “I would like to thank President Steve Stoute and Athletic Director Bill Maher for this tremendous opportunity. I am confident that I will be able to use the things I have learned in my 19 years as a head coach and put those into practice at Canisius on day one. Canisius is a special place. The close, family atmosphere I experienced on my visit there last week just further proved to me that Canisius is the right place for me, both personally and professionally. I am ready to get to Buffalo and I am ready to get to work.”

Of course Christian was no stranger to the Kent State program, serving as Head Coach of the Golden Flashes from 2002-2008, compiling a 138-58 record during that time. His Flashes made five postseason appearances in his six seasons as bench boss, making the NCAA tournament in 2006 and 2008.

The 2007-2008 was historic for the Flashes as they achieved the program’s first ever national ranking in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls. The ranking came on the heels of a ESPN Bracket Buster win against a Saint Mary’s team that featured future NBA veteran Patrick Mills.

From KSU, Christian went on to head coaching stints at TCU, Ohio and Boston College.

Jim was also an integral part of the most historic season in KSU history as he an assistant on the 2002 Elite Eight team coached by current Eastern Michigan coach Stan Heath.

After Christian was promoted to head coach at KSU in 2002, Rob Senderoff was the first he hire he made.

Christian and Senderoff first met in 1995 when both were on the staff at Miami (OH) under Herb Sendek. Senderoff was the best man in Christian’s wedding and the two have been loyal friends since the days in Oxford.

Christian was inducted into Kent State’s Varsity “K” Hall of Fame in 2021.

The staff at Kent is so unique, tied together by Christian who gave the program 22 years in a row of history between all staff members combined. “We probably have the most unique staff situation in the country here at Kent State,” Senderoff told the Record Courier of the time of the Christian hiring. “Over the past 20 years every player that has walked through here has been coached by, recruited by, or played with somebody on our staff. That’s really unique in college basketball. I think that’s really good for our program and good for our staff.”

The 59 year old Christian takes over a Canisius program that was led by former Buffalo Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon for the last eight years. The Golden Griffins from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, are 35-59 the past three seasons and haven’t had winning full season since 2017-2018.