Eddie Casiano

Eddie Casiano

Casiano in 2017
Atléticos de San Germán
Position	Head coach
League	BSN
Personal information
Born	(1972-09-20) September 20, 1972 Manhattan, New York
Nationality	Puerto Rican / American
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school	Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Playing career	1988–2008
Position	Point guard
Number	5
Coaching career	2009–present
Career history
As player:
1988–2000	Atléticos de San Germán
2001–2006	Leones de Ponce
2007–2008	Indios de Mayagüez
As coach:
2009–2015	Indios de Mayagüez
2011–2015	Halcones Rojos Veracruz
2016	Cangrejeros de Santurce
2016–2018	Santeros de Aguada
2016–2021	Puerto Rico
2018–2021	Piratas de Quebradillas
2021–present	Atléticos de San Germán
Career highlights and awards
As player: 5× BSN Champion (1991, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2004) BSN Most Valuable Player (1997) 2× BSN scoring champion (1996, 1997) As coach: BSN champion (2012) 2× BSN Coach of the Year (2009, 2012) 2× LNBP champion (2012, 2014)
Medals Men's basketball Representing Puerto Rico FIBA AmeriCup 2003 San Juan Centrobasket 2003 Culiacán 2004 Santo Domingo Goodwill Games 1994 Saint Petersburg Head coach for Puerto Rico Centrobasket 2016 Panama Team Central American and Caribbean Games 2018 Barranquilla

Eddie Casiano Ojeda (born September 20, 1972) is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player and is currently the head coach for Atléticos de San Germán. He also was the head coach of the Puerto Rican national team.

He was born in Manhattan, New York, but raised in Puerto Rico. Casiano played for the Atléticos de San Germán, Leones de Ponce, and Indios de Mayagüez in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in a career spanning from 1988 to 2008. Casiano was also a member of the Puerto Rican national basketball team, he played minimally in 1992 against the dream team and was also a part of the 2004 team that defeated the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece.

Casiano was an integral part of the San Germán team that won three championships during the 1990s. After being traded to Ponce, Casiano won two more championships with them. After retiring from basketball, Casiano became head coach of the Indios de Mayagüez in 2009. In 2012, he led his team to its first championship in history.

From 2016 to 2021, Casiano was the head coach of the Puerto Rico national basketball team.

Early years and education

Eddie Casiano was born in Manhattan, New York City to Puerto Rican parents. At the age of 7, he moved to the island with his mother Carmen Ojeda. After establishing in Bayamón, Casiano started practicing basketball with the support of his mother and grandparents.

Casiano went to Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis and was teammates with North Carolina standout Eric Montross.

Casiano and Nelson Quiñones were teenagers at the time (fifteen and seventeen, respectively) and hadn't finished high school yet, when they were signed by the Atleticos de San German BSN team. During his first years, Casiano was kept mostly on the bench and his contributions were minimal. In 1991, with the departures of Bobby Ríos and Ernesto Malcolm from San Germán, Casiano and Quiñones became starters with 18 and 20 years respectively. Because of their age at the time, the team was nicknamed by the media as Los Nenes de San German (San German's Boys). Their sharpshooting style led the team to three championships during the 1990s (1991, 1994, 1997). During this time, Casiano also participated in his first Olympic Games, joining Atleticos teammate Jose Ortiz as a member of the Puerto Rican National Basketball Team.

After the 2000 season, Casiano was traded to the Leones de Ponce along with Bobby Joe Hatton and Carlos Cortés. As a member of the Leones, Casiano won two more championships (2002 and 2004).

Casiano spent the last two years of his career with the Indios de Mayagüez, retiring in 2008 after 20 years of career.

Coaching career

After retiring from the BSN, Casiano became the head coach of the Indios de Mayagüez. He led the team to their first championship in 2012. Casiano also served as head coach in the Mexican professional basketball league.

In March 2016, Casiano joined the coaching team of the Cangrejeros de Santurce. He served as assistant to then head coach Julio Toro.

External links

• Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Eddie Casiano". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2011-05-19.
• Eddie Casiano Profile on BSNPR.com