Warwick, R.I. – For the fifth year in a row, Doug Haynes is the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Women’s Basketball East District Coach of the Year, further cementing the Community College of Rhode Island’s status as a perennial powerhouse among junior-college programs.

Haynes, a West Warwick, R.I., native; former two-sport athlete at CCRI; and CCRI Hall of Famer, has revitalized the women’s basketball program in his eight seasons at the helm and set a new standard of excellence with five consecutive NJCAA Region XXI championships and five consecutive appearances in the NJCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament.

“I owe this award to the teams that made it to the nationals,” Haynes said. “I’m very proud of this program for what we’ve accomplished. My goal was to build a program with Rhode Island kids and play at the national level and we have done it.”

Overall, Haynes boasts a 125-71 record as CCRI’s head coach. His 125 wins are already the most by any coach in program history, shattering the previous record held by Marcus Reilly, who won 77 games from 2001–2003 and 2006–2008. A baseball and basketball standout from 1987–1989 as a student athlete, Haynes returned to his alma mater in 2018 and within three four years led the program to its first regional championship since 2013.

The last five years of Haynes’ tenure have set him apart from any coach in program history; since the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020–21 season, Haynes’ record is 107-33, including an unprecedented 58-0 in Region XXI play. All told, the Knights have won 64 consecutive games against regional opponents, which culminated with this year’s regional tournament championship game win over Holyoke Community College on March 1.

As a player at CCRI, Haynes scored 1,043 points under legendary men’s basketball coach Vin Cullen and graduated as the school’s third all-time leading scorer. On the diamond, he played for head baseball coach Whitey Fell and was a two-time All-New England selection and NJCAA All-American selection as a sophomore in 1989. He was inducted into CCRI’s Hall of Fame in 1995.

His rise to prominence as a coach began at St. Mary Academy-Bay View in East Providence, where he won two state championships during his 18-year tenure and captured the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Division I Coach of the Year award seven times. His knowledge of the Rhode Island high school athletics landscape and resume at Bay View made him the perfect fit for CCRI, where his goal from the beginning was to build a program with Rhode Island student-athletes that can compete at the national level.

Haynes’ teams have dominated the northeast over the past five years and have also been consistently ranked among the best in the nation in the NJCAA Division III polls; this year, the Knights finished 22-3, including a perfect 14-0 record in Region XXI play, and entered the NJCAA tournament ranked No. 3 in the nation. CCRI subsequently earned the No. 3 seed in this year’s tournament, which gave it a first-round bye for the first time under Haynes, but fell short of its goal of a national title after losing to No. 6 seed Northland.

“This year didn't turn out to be what we were looking for, and I feel bad for the players that are leaving,” Haynes said, “but as for the returning players, we know what we need to do. This team worked hard all year.”

What Haynes has built off the court has been as equally impressive as what the players have done between the lines. Since 2021, five of Haynes’ student-athletes have earned NJCAA Academic All-American honors for posting a GPA of 3.60 or higher, including Maggie Schwab, a two-time second-team selection in 2021–22 and 2022–23, Chloe Rayko (2022–23), Taylor Stande (2022–23), Mary-Jane Lima (2021–22), and Talia Thibodeau (2021–22). His commitment to ensuring his players are successful in the classroom remains steadfast as he begins building the foundation for the 2026–27 season.

“One of our priorities is making sure each player gets her degree and that the ones who continue their athletic career at a four-year institution have the opportunity to do so,” Haynes said.

“CCRI gave me a second chance with my academic and athletic career, and the positive role models I had during my time at CCRI has allowed me to instill the values I learned in the players we coach today.”