Ben_Cahn
Ben Cahn
Australian soccer player and manager (born 1988)
Ben Cahn (born 28 February 1988) is an English association football manager who was most recently the head coach of A-League Men club Brisbane Roar.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1988-02-28) 28 February 1988 (age 36) | ||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| Crystal Palace | |||
| Fulham | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015–2017 | Central Coast Mariners Academy | ||
| 2016–2017 | Central Coast Mariners (assistant manager) | ||
| 2017–2022 | Olympic FC | ||
| 2022–2023 | Melbourne Knights | ||
| 2024 | Brisbane Roar | ||
Early life and move to Australia
Cahn was born in London, England, to an Australian mother, and grew up supporting Chelsea FC in the Premier League. As a teenager he played in the academies for Crystal Palace, and Fulham. It was whilst at Fulham, his hopes of becoming a professional footballer were cut short when he was told by the club he would never make it professionally.[1] When he was 21, Cahn travelled to Australia and started coaching in some football academies in the Sunshine Coast.
In 2015 he joined the Central Coast Mariners, becoming an integral part of their successful academy side, overseeing the development and rise of future A-League players Trent Buhagiar, Steve Whyte, Lachlan Wales and Adam Pearce.[2] He was also briefly assistant to both Paul Okon and Tony Walmsley throughout their stints as A-League men managers. In 2017 he departed the Mariners and was signed as the head coach of Olympic FC in the NPL Queensland competition.
At the helnm of Olympic FC Cahn's team reached the grand final of the competition 5 times consecutively, however lost all 5 grand finals.[1]
In February 2023, Cahn took a further step in his managerial career, taking on the managerial role at Melbourne Knights. In his sole season in charge, Cahn led the Knights to a fourth-place finish in the 2023 NPL Victoria season, along with making the NPL Victoria, Dockerty Cup, and Australia Cup semi finals, before leaving his position in order to become Brisbane Roar's Youth Technical Director.[3]
Brisbane Roar
On 1 January 2024, Cahn was announced as the manager for Brisbane Roar FC, after interim coach Lucas Trani was sacked after one game following an 8–1 loss to Melbourne City.[4] The appointment marks Cahn's first role as manager of a professional football club, along with his appointment being the 5th manager Brisbane Roar have signed in under a year since Warren Moon was sacked in February 2023.[5]
After 5 games in charge for 1 win and 4 losses, Cahn went on long-term medical leave from 1 February 2024. He had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent throat surgery that left him unable to continue his work. Recently appointed assistant manager Ruben Zadkovich was elevated as his interim replacement.[6][7] On 19 April 2024, Brisbane Roar announced Cahn had permanently departed the club.[8]
- D'Urbano, Nick (2 January 2024). "Who is Ben Cahn? The unique rise of Brisbane Roar's new boss". A-leagues. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- Scott, Tyson (14 September 2017). "Coach Ben Cahn to leave the Mariners". Community Coast News. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- "Ben Cahn departs Melbourne Knights for Brisbane Roar". Football Victoria. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- Gabor, Mark. "'A statement of our ambition': Brisbane Roar unveils new coach just days after the club suffers embarrassing 8–1 loss". News.com.au. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- Wenzel, Murray. "Five coaches in 11 months: Brisbane Roar appoint another new A-League Men gaffer". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- Ben Cahn at Soccerway