ASU Mid-South Names Ben Tanoff Head Men's Basketball Coach

Tanoff joins ASU Mid-South after four seasons at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa, where he served as associate head coach and helped guide the Panthers to unprecedented success. During his tenure, Ellsworth captured the 2024 Region XI Championship, made its first NJCAA Division II Final Four appearance in 47 years and finished as the national runner-up in 2025. Over that same period, the program sent more student-athletes to NCAA Division I programs than any other NJCAA Division II school in the nation.

"Ben's experience at every level of basketball, combined with his commitment to developing student-athletes on and off the court, made him an outstanding fit for our program," said Athletic Director Jeremy Reece. "Throughout his time at Ellsworth, he helped build one of the premier programs in junior college basketball, and I'm confident that the culture we've established at ASU Mid-South will continue to thrive under his leadership."

Known for his emphasis on defense, player development and academic excellence, Tanoff helped produce two NJCAA All-Americans, 15 all-region players and 34 student-athletes who earned scholarships to four-year institutions. Six All-Academic team members emerged from the program during his time at Ellsworth, and the Panthers achieved a 100 percent graduation rate while posting a team GPA of 3.46 during the 2024-25 academic year.

Tanoff's coaching experience spans multiple levels of collegiate athletics. Prior to joining Ellsworth, he served as Director of Basketball Operations at NCAA Division I Presbyterian College and as Director of Recruiting at Georgia Tech under head coach Josh Pastner. During his time with the Yellow Jackets, Georgia Tech won its first ACC Championship since 1993 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

His coaching résumé also includes stops at Maine Maritime Academy and the University of Pikeville, where he was part of two NAIA national tournament teams and earned Graduate Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2019. Before entering the college ranks, Tanoff spent three years coaching and teaching mathematics at Lowcountry Preparatory School in South Carolina.

In addition to his collegiate experience, Tanoff served as head coach of the USA Basketball Under-18 Boys 3-on-3 team at the 21st Maccabi Games in Israel in 2022, leading Team USA to a gold medal.

"I am excited, grateful and energized to become the next head men's basketball coach at Arkansas State University Mid-South," Tanoff said. "I also want to thank every player I have had the privilege to coach throughout my career. Basketball is ultimately about people, and I would not be in this position without the outstanding players, coaches, mentors, and supporters who have impacted my journey. It is a tremendous honor to lead a program with the proud tradition and strong foundation of Greyhound basketball. I look forward to connecting with our student-athletes, campus, alumni and community as we work together to build something special."

A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Tanoff earned bachelor's degrees in mathematics and economics with high honors from Kenyon College, where he served as a captain of the cross-country team. He later earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pikeville.

Tanoff becomes the latest leader of a Greyhound program that has established a culture of success both on and off the court. His track record of developing student-athletes, building championship-caliber teams and maintaining high academic standards aligns with ASU Mid-South's commitment to excellence in athletics and education.