Casem was born in
Memphis, Tennessee in 1934. A
Catholic, he attended
Xavier University of Louisiana, a
historically black and Catholic university in
New Orleans. Casem became the head football coach at
Alabama State University in 1963 and compiled a record there of 2–8. In 1964, Casem was hired as the head football coach at
Alcorn State University, a
historically black college located in
Lorman, Mississippi. He served as the head football coach for 22 years from 1964 to 1985. He was also Alcorn State's athletic director from 1966 to 1986. Casem also served for many years on the NCAA's Football Rules Committee and Executive Committee. He was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He has also been inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame, Alcorn State Hall of Honor, and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, and has received the National Football Foundation Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award and the Football Writers Association Citation of Honor. Casem is credited with saying, "On the East Coast, football is a cultural experience. In the Midwest, it's a form of cannibalism. On the West Coast, it's a tourist attraction. And in the South, football is a religion, and Saturday is the holy day." In 1999, he also received the 28th NACDA/NIT Athletics Directors Award for his contribution to the sport of basketball and the
National Invitational Tournament. On receiving the award, Casem said, "That you have seen fit to recognize me with this most hallowed award is, in essence, not just a tribute to me, but a tribute to all of the historically black colleges and universities, the many talented student-athletes, the outstanding coaches, motivated staff members, distinguished administrators and supportive fans who stood in our corner." ==Head coaching record==