Ben Casanova enters his sixth season as an assistant coach for the University of North Georgia men's basketball program after a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Toledo. In May of 2026, he was promoted to associate head coach.
At North Georgia, Casanova has been a part of a coaching staff that has reached new heights for the men's basketball program. In 2024, he helped guide the Nighthawks to their first PBC Tournament Championship, first NCAA Regional Championship and the most wins in a single season in program history (28).
During the 2022-23 season, Casanova was on the staff as North Georgia earned its first top-25 ranking in program history, its first NCAA Tournament appearance and its first NCAA Tournament win.
A Sylvania, Ohio native, Casanova played college basketball at Ohio Dominican University from 2015-19 for UNG head coach Dan Evans. As a junior, he helped the Panthers to their first NCAA Division II tournament appearance. ODU won the 2018 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament title by defeating No. 11 Findlay, 68-66, in the semifinals and Hillsdale, 71-53, in the championship game.
In high school, Casanova earned second-team all-state honors as a senior at Sylvania Southview, where he helped the Cougars post a 24-1 record and a No. 1 ranking in the state. He averaged 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game as a senior and was named Northern Lakes League and District Player of the Year.
Casanova graduated with magna cum laude honors from Ohio Dominican in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in business and finance and a minor in sport management. Casanova’s father, John, played in the National Football League with the Cincinnati Bengals (1984) and Green Bay Packers (1985) after a four-year collegiate career at Northern Michigan University.
Updated: July 2026
