Football
- Title:
- Offensive Graduate Assistant
John Cannova enters his third season as an offensive graduate assistant at Texas Tech where he works primarily with the Red Raider offensive line. This is the fifth-consecutive season for Cannova to work under offensive line coach Steve Farmer as he also served in a similar capacity at Utah State for two years prior to their arrival in Lubbock.
The Red Raiders have featured one of the top offensive lines in the country during Cannova’s two seasons on staff as Texas Tech has ranked among the top-30 schools in the FBS for fewest sacks allowest despite being one of the most active teams in the country through the air. In fact, Tech attempted 531 passes in 2019, the fourth-highest total in the FBS. Still, the Red Raiders ended the year as one of only two power-five teams with at least 500 pass attempts to also rank in the top 25 for fewest sacks allowed.
Tech’s success up front mirrored the type of play Utah State put together offensively during Cannova’s two seasons. The Aggies played in a pair of bowl games and scored at record numbers both seasons, thanks in part to the work of the offensive line.
Utah State surrendered only 10 sacks during Cannova’s final season, ranking tied for fourth in the FBS despite attempting 465 passes on the year. The Aggies trailed the likes of Army, Air Force and Florida International in sacks allowed, all of which ranked among the bottom 50 teams nationally in fewest passes attempted.
Most impressively, Utah State averaged 47.5 points per game in 2018, which trailed only Oklahoma among FBS schools. The Aggies boasted a balanced attack as one of only three teams in the country to rank in the top 20 for passing and the top-35 for rushing, joining both Oklahoma and Houston.
Utah State scored at least 40 points in 13 different games over his two seasons, including 10 times with 50 or more points. The Aggies reached the 50-point mark a school-record seven times in 2018 alone en route to snapping almost every offensive record in Utah State history.
Four offensive linemen garnered All-Mountain West honors during his tenure with Quin Ficklin collecting first team accolades in 2018, while Roman Andrus was a second-team selection. Rob Castaneda and Sean Taylor were both honorable mention picks that season as were Ficklin and Andrus in 2017. Utah State had not previously placed multiple offensive linemen on either the all-conference first or second team since 2012 when the Aggies were members of the Western Athletic Conference.
Prior to his arrival at Utah State, Cannova spent three seasons at St. Ambrose University in Iowa where he began as a graduate assistant in 2014 before earning a promotion to offensive line coach a year later. He coached seven all-conference offensive linemen while at St. Ambrose, which closed the 2015 campaign ranked 20th in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Cannova was also St. Ambrose’s academic coordinator throughout his tenure where he helped the football program record the highest team GPA in the NAIA for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Cannova began his coaching career following a successful playing career at North Central College in Illinois. He was a three-year starter at offensive guard and center from 2011-13, pushing the Cardinals to three College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) titles and three NCAA Division III playoff berths, including a semifinals appearance in 2013.
Cannova, a native of Wheaton, Illinois, was a National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society honoree along with an Academic All-CCIW recipient during his collegiate career. He previously prepped at Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois, earning All-Conference accolades as an offensive linemen his senior season.
