Ben Asher enters his second season on staff as an assistant coach at Utah State in 2025-26.
During his first season with the Aggies in 2024-25, Asher helped coach the Aggies to a 26-8 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Utah State boasted one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, ranking 11th in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.60), 14th in assists per game (17.1) and 20th in field goal percentage (.484), leading the Mountain West in each category. Defensively, the team set a program record with 291 steals, surpassing its previous high of 238 steals in 2023-24.
The Aggies posted a 15-2 home record and went 15-5 in league play, finishing third in the Mountain West despite returning just four letterwinners from the previous year's roster. In non-conference play, USU defeated Iowa in a neutral site matchup to earn its first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2013. The team then went on to win the NIT Season Tip-Off in Orlando and earn a win at Saint Mary's, before opening conference play with back-to-back road victories over then-No. 20 San Diego State and Nevada. The team's win over SDSU was its first road victory over an AP Top 25 team since 1991 and its first win in San Diego since 1999.
Individually, the guard duo of Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev each earned all-Mountain West honors, with Martinez named to the first team and Falslev to the second team. Martinez scored in double-figures in 33 of USU's 34 games, ranking fifth in the league with 16.4 points per game. Falslev ranked in the top 10 in the conference in points (15.0), rebounds (6.3), assists (3.7) and steals (2.32) per game, earning four MW Player of the Week honors and twice named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.
Asher brought 14 years of collegiate coaching experience with him to the Aggies, including most recently spending three seasons as an assistant at Youngstown State (2021-24) under Calhoun. Asher was named one of the Rising Stars for Mid-Major Assistant Coaches in Division I Basketball in 2024 and one of the Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistant Coaches in 2022 and 2023 by Silver Waves Media. He was also named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches 30-Under-30 Team in 2020.
At Youngstown State, Asher helped guide the team to unprecedented success as the Penguins won a Horizon League-best 41 conference games and a league-high 65 games overall during his three seasons on staff. YSU also won 41 home games, including a Division I school record 14 home games, in each of its last two seasons. Furthermore, YSU participated in consecutive postseasons for the first time in school history as it played in the 2023 National Invitation Tournament and the 2022 Basketball Classic.
During the 2023-24 campaign at Youngstown State, Asher helped the Penguins to a 22-10 record including a 14-6 Horizon League mark and a second-place finish. YSU averaged 81.2 points per game and allowed just 70.9, both of which ranked second in the conference. The Penguins also made 282 3-pointers to rank as the second-most in school history.
Asher also helped lead Youngstown State to its first regular-season conference title after guiding the Penguins to a 24-10 record and a 15-5 league mark en route to the Horizon League Championship in 2022-23. The 24 wins tied the program record for victories and the 15 Horizon League wins set the record for conference victories. YSU concluded its season with an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
In 2021-22, Youngstown State’s 19 wins were its most since 2000-01 and its 12 Horizon League wins were a school record. YSU also tied the then-Division I record for most home wins with 13 and secured the program’s second postseason berth in three years with an appearance in the inaugural The Basketball Classic. The Penguins also won their second-ever postseason game with a 70-65 victory over Morgan State.
During his time at Youngstown State, Asher mentored eight players to all-Horizon League accolades, including four during the 2023-24 campaign.
Asher also spent five seasons at Rutgers (2016-21), including serving as the director of basketball operations and recruiting for two years. He also served three seasons as special assistant to the head coach with the Scarlet Knights. With Asher on staff, the Scarlet Knights achieved new heights during the 2020-21 campaign, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years.
Among Asher’s many responsibilities were serving as liaison to the athletic department, including the areas of communications, RVision, marketing, creative, business operations and facilities management. He also played an integral role in the program’s social media outreach and recruiting initiatives. The Scarlet Knights welcomed a four-recruit signing class in 2018 that included multiple four-star players for the first time since 2008.
Prior to Rutgers, Asher spent the 2015-16 season as the director of operations at Siena. That year, the Saints posted a 21-13 record and competed in the CBI postseason tournament. He was instrumental in the day-to-day activities of the team, including travel, practices, meals, facility use, team camps and recruiting.
An Oyster Bay, New York native, Asher spent two seasons (2013-15) as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State under head coach Mark Gottfried. The Wolfpack advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2015, after reaching the ACC quarterfinal and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2014.
Prior to arriving in Raleigh, Asher worked as the head student manager at West Virginia, where he earned a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree in 2013. Under head coach Bob Huggins, the Mountaineers won the Big East Tournament Championship and advanced to the Final Four in 2010, while also earning NCAA Tournament berths in 2011 and 2012.
Asher married the former Danielle Capozzoli in summer 2018. The couple has two sons, Max and Luca.