| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1988-02-28)28 February 1988 (age 37) | ||
| 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 | ||
Ben Cahn (born 28 February 1988) is an Englishassociation football manager who was most recently the head coach ofA-League Men clubBrisbane Roar.
Cahn was born inLondon, England, to an Australian mother, and grew up supportingChelsea FC in thePremier League. As a teenager he played in the academies forCrystal Palace, andFulham. 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 theSunshine Coast.
In 2015 he joined theCentral Coast Mariners, becoming an integral part of their successfulacademy side, overseeing the development and rise of future A-League playersTrent Buhagiar,Steve Whyte,Lachlan Wales andAdam Pearce.[2] He was also briefly assistant to bothPaul Okon andTony Walmsley throughout their stints as A-League men managers. In 2017 he departed the Mariners and was signed as the head coach ofOlympic FC in theNPL 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 atMelbourne Knights. In his sole season in charge, Cahn led the Knights to a fourth-place finish in the 2023NPL Victoria season, along with making the NPL Victoria,Dockerty Cup, andAustralia Cup semi finals, before leaving his position in order to becomeBrisbane Roar's Youth Technical Director.[3]
On 1 January 2024, Cahn was announced as the manager forBrisbane Roar FC, after interim coach Lucas Trani was sacked after one game following an 8–1 loss toMelbourne 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 sinceWarren Moon was sacked in February 2023.[5]
After 5 games in charge for 1 win and 4 losses, Cahn went on long-termmedical leave from 1 February 2024. He had been diagnosed withthyroid cancer and underwent throat surgery that left him unable to continue his work. Recently appointed assistant managerRuben Zadkovich was elevated as his interim replacement.[6][7] On 19 April 2024, Brisbane Roar announced Cahn had permanently departed the club.[8]