Dont really need a college degree to be a head coach....
Agree but you can't have a coach or an assistant coach that lied on his resume and portrayed himself as someone he wasn't. Not sure why Masiello didn't think that something as basic and as easily checked as being a college graduate would not eventually be a problem for him? Arrogance, ego or stupidity?
From the Manhattan website:
A 2000 graduate of the University of Kentucky with a degree in communications, Masiello was a four-year member of the Wildcats' basketball team, playing under head coaches Rick Pitino (1996-97) and Tubby Smith (1997-2000). During his playing career, Kentucky went to the Final Four twice (1997 & 1998), advancing to the National Championship game both times and winning the title in 1998. Masiello was named the Wildcats' co-captain his senior year....
I'm guessing that a Kentucky diploma was not hanging in his office in Riverdale.
Again, I have to wonder why USF didn't check this out BEFORE announcing Masiello was their new coach.
JoeStag, if that in fact is the shaky thing about Masiello -- I'm surprised that talk on the street is centered on the accuracy of one's resume.
USF never announced him as coach -- news was leaked -- and it's standard for reference / background checks to be done after an offer is made and accepted by a job candidate.
There's no way Manhattan can take him back if his stated education is a fraud. Notre Dame fired O'Leary Years back for the same reason. And it'd seem pretty matter if fact one way or the other -- you either have a diploma or you don't. No gray area.
Since you mentioned O'Leary, I checked and found out he's currently the head football coach at UCF and they went 12-1 last year and won their Fiesta Bowl game against Baylor on New Year's Day. So I would think somewhere down the line, Masiello will resurface somewhere as a D1 head basketball coach. Also, I'm wondering if USF's decision is somehow an attempt to claim moral superiority over fellow AAC league member UCF.
Manhattan basketball coach Steve Masiello, who appeared to be on his way to the University of South Florida Tuesday, won’t be going to the new school because he never graduated from his first school.
The Tampa Tribune reported late Tuesday USF had pulled the deal because of a problem with Masiello’s background check.
Manhattan coach Steve Masiello played under coaches Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith at the University of Kentucky, but never graduated from the school, as indicated on his resume. The false information precluded Masiello from becoming the next head coach at the University of South Florida Monday.
“He does not have a degree,” University of Kentucky spokesman Jay Blanton said Tuesday morning.
Masiello, 36, majored in communications, and Blanton cited federal privacy laws when asked how close Masiello was to finishing. Masiello attended the university in Lexington, Ky. from the fall of 1996 to the summer of 2000.....
Post by perfectpitch on Mar 26, 2014 9:57:13 GMT -5
Well, I think it could be as simple as a school (Manhattan?) merely assuming there is a degree. This was the bio from the Louisville Cards website when he was an assistant: www.gocards.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/masiello_steve00.html
Kudos to USF for doing the work that should have been done by these other schools.
The Iona academic scandal and now the Manhattan coach lying about his academic credentials. How much longer does the Fairfield administration want to put up with this crap in the MAAC? Is it really worth it?
Less than a week later, it's not even certain that Manhattan will take him back.
Masiello was all set to replace Stan Heath as the new coach at South Florida when the school's background check revealed that he had not actually graduated from Kentucky in 2000 as his resume claimed, ESPN.com reported Wednesday morning. Masiello's bio at Manhattan and from when he was an assistant at Louisville both refer to him as having graduated from Kentucky in 2000 with a communications degree.
The question now becomes whether Manhattan policy demands that its head coaches must have bachelor's degrees in order to be eligible to work at the school. This is common practice among Division I institutions who want their head coaches to be able to set an example for their players about the importance of graduating.
A Manhattan spokesman did not immediately return an email from Yahoo Sports seeking clarification on if the school requires its coaches to have a degree. The email also asked if the initial resume Masiello had submitted falsely indicated he had graduated from Kentucky and if the school had made any decision regarding whether he would be welcomed back....
Rick Pitino told ESPN on Wednesday that he was “shocked” to hear that Masiello never graduated. “When I left (UK for the NBA), he was on track to graduate,” Pitino said, per the Tampa Tribune.
Well, I think it could be as simple as a school (Manhattan?) merely assuming there is a degree. This was the bio from the Louisville Cards website when he was an assistant: www.gocards.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/masiello_steve00.html
Kudos to USF for doing the work that should have been done by these other schools.
Yes kudos to USF. If Manhattan knew he lied on resume, and they did not reject him, then that is a terrible message to Manhattan Students and Alumni.
Masiello had a reputation for doing shaky things prior to his being a Head Coach of Manhattan..... but a shaky reputation is hard to prove. Lying on the resume was easy to prove, but thats probably not the only thing that concerned USF.
Last Edit: Mar 26, 2014 11:18:30 GMT -5 by JoeStag
An interesting perspective from CBS Sports Network columnist:
In the case of Steve Masiello, the punishment did not fit the crime -- it was too harsh -- though it had to happen.
If you're South Florida and you find out that the bright young basketball coach you've decided to hire had a lie on his resume -- Masiello didn't graduate from Kentucky in 2000; his resume says otherwise -- you have to decide not to hire him. Colleges and universities can be as full of crap as anyone, but an institution of higher learning has to have a line somewhere. And Masiello crossed it.
The punishment is too harsh, but sometimes life isn't fair. Look, Masiello wasn't fair in 2000 when he got a job out of college as an entry-level staffer at Tulane under Shawn Finney, who surely wouldn't have hired Masiello -- wouldn't have been able to hire him -- had he known Masiello didn't have a degree. Which means Masiello got a position that should have gone to someone else. Who was that someone else? We don't know. We'll never know, because Finney never had to go down the list. He hired Masiello, and whoever would've been next simply didn't get the call. Maybe that guy, whoever he is, got a job the next day at another school. Maybe that guy didn't get a job the next day, or the next, and now is selling cars in Yuma.
Some things, you just can't know.....
You can't tell a lie there. Not on your resume. Not if you want any peace of mind for, say, the rest of your life.....
Manhattan will likely claim that they knew nothing about Masiello's lack of degree from Kentucky. The question is if they will tell the truth or not. If Manhattan pleads ignorance, then they can only be faulted for a lack of institutional control.
But Manhattan must tell the truth. I have not a response from Manhattan
A Manhattan spokesman did not immediately return an email from Yahoo Sports seeking clarification on if the school requires its coaches to have a degree. The email also asked if the initial resume Masiello had submitted falsely indicated he had graduated from Kentucky and if the school had made any decision regarding whether he would be welcomed back.
Last Edit: Mar 26, 2014 11:49:42 GMT -5 by JoeStag
Post by brokenboat on Mar 26, 2014 11:54:53 GMT -5
In case anyone has forgotten, Rutgers hired Eddie Jordan when he said he had a degree from Rutgers and none existed! He still got the job and in the wake of a scandal!
So, I don't think you need a degree to be qualified to be a coach. But it sure reflects poorly that all these coaches are lying scum bags and nobody checks up on it.
Post by nashvillestag on Mar 26, 2014 12:09:50 GMT -5
Like so many times in the past, whether in sports, politics, or anything else, the real criminal thing about this situation is the lying, the fudging and the coverup. If I were in charge at Manhattan, no way would I take Masiello back now. Was this a crime that should totally ruin Steve's career as a very talented basketball coach? Well in America second chances have become the norm, but with proper reconciliation over a long period of time (see George O'Leary). So maybe in a few years he can come back and resume his career. But certainly as far as his professional life is concerned, yesterday was probably the best day of his life, and today has to be the worst!
USF said that the contract offer to Masiello was rescinded because of the "discrepancy" that was uncovered by their search firm - Masiello lied on his resume about having graduated from Kentucky in 2000.
Rick Pitino, Masiello's friend and mentor, who hired Masiello as an assistant Louisville basketball coach (2005-2011) said he was "shocked" to hear that Masiello never graduated from Kentucky.
What will disgraced coach Steve Masiello eventually say?
What will Manhattan eventually say about hiring Masiello twice - first as an assistant basketball coach in 2001 to Gonzo and then as the head basketball coach in 2011?
All very interesting and embarrassing but all Masiello's fault. Ironically, this is the last place that Steve Masiello "wants to be".