USF said that the contract offer to Masiello was rescinded because of the "discrepancy" that was uncovered by their search firm - Masiello lied on his resume about having graduated from Kentucky in 2000.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".
Yes 73 I forgot that he once worked for Gonzo. Look what happened to him after leaving the Jaspers! What is it about coaches of Manhattan who resurrect the program and then get themselves in a heap of trouble?
According to Sports Illustrated, it looks like the ball is now in Manhattan's court:
Steve Masiello’s false resume means tough decision for Manhattan
On its website, Manhattan College bills itself as a “caring Lasallian Catholic community,” a 22-acre patch of land just north of the actual island of Manhattan that promotes “faith, respect, education, community and social action.” Of those five qualities, it may be the first that is most persuasive, one way or another, in determining whether Steve Masiello continues to coach the school’s basketball team.....
Manhattan has a different problem. The administration has to decide whether it can welcome back a coach who is at worst a deliberate liar and at best careless — a coach who didn’t want to be there anymore. Masiello’s relationships with school president Dr. Brennan O’Donnell and athletic director Bob Byrnes will matter most. The 36-year-old Masiello may be considered a rising star in coaching, but the only important popularity for him right now is in those two offices.
No one can pretend that a false line on a resume ultimately matters as much as the NCAA tournament invite the Jaspers received this year. But all schools must maintain appearances....
If Manhattan decides to keep Masiello, the solution is simple: The coach apologizes publicly, and the school reduces his pay and/or suspends him for a few games of the 2014-15 season. He is a basketball coach who lied about a college degree. That is more idiotic than insidious; and if every college coach who lied was out of a job, there would be zero college basketball coaches. In this scenario, Manhattan does something to preserve its integrity while claiming it acted in accordance with its own values.
But if Manhattan isn’t inclined to welcome back Masiello, it’s a defensible position. Masiello should have known better, a long time ago. Now he’ll have to wait and see just how much faith runs through Manhattan College....
Masiello attended the school from 1996-2000, where he was a walk-on with the Wildcats, but University of Kentucky officials were unwilling to comment on how many credits Masiello still needed in order to earn a degree.
“During the search for a new men’s basketball coach, an agreement in principle was reached by USF and candidate Steve Masiello,” the University of South Florida said in a statement released Wednesday. “The agreement was pending a verification of credentials. Through the verification process it was determined the candidate’s credentials could not be substantiated and therefore he did not meet the requirements for the position.”
It’s unclear how this will affect his status at Manhattan. Masiello has two years remaining on his contract with Manhattan. A bachelor’s degree was a listed requirement for his position when he applied in 2011, according to a source familiar with the situation
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.
Gary Parrish @garyparrishcbs 1m Manhattan has announced that Steve Masiello has been placed on leave.
Gary Parrish @garyparrishcbs 2m It appears Steve Masiello’s play here is going to be that he genuinely thought he had a degree and therefore didn’t knowingly lie.
Per Josh Newman at Asbury Park Press/SNY:
Josh Newman @joshua_Newman 2m From Manhattan's statement (1 of 2): "Masiello is currently in the process of reviewing his degree status with the University of Kentucky."
Josh Newman @joshua_Newman From Manhattan statement (2 of 2): "Manhattan College has placed Masiello on leave while he completes this process with the University."
I wonder how many years passed by before Masiello as a Communications Major finally realized that he actually had no diploma from Kentucky? Apparently just now? All a big misunderstanding while he "reviews his degree status"? It should be interesting to see how Masiello and his people spin this and how Manhattan explains why they never checked with Kentucky to verify that he graduated when they hired him in 2001 and then again in 2011.
Pitino was probably on the phone or meeting with the Kentucky officials and pulled a few strings today. Tomorrow it will be magically announced by Kentucky: Gee, Masiello was only short 2-3 credits from a degree. He'll take a course online or some other farce and all will be ok with his "misunderstanding". Back to Manhattan.... but he will be on a short leash.
Masiello, Moore (under Calhoun), something about these guys with the heavy gelled hair...
Last Edit: Mar 26, 2014 18:40:09 GMT -5 by stagparty
Stagparty -- Louisville is facing Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen round on Friday. I really doubt Kentucky administrators are looking to be helpful to Pitino in any way for the next few days at least. After all, Pitino left Kentucky in '97 to go coach the Celtics ---- so I doubt UK feels they need to do any favors for Pitino.
Mydad --you are correct. USF didn't officially announce the signing but this is from Gary Parrish's story in cbssports.com: As CBSSports.com first reported, Masiello agreed to a five-year deal worth more than $1 million per year to replace Stan Heath early Tuesday. Hours later, that report was confirmed by ESPN.com, and The Tampa Tribune later reported that Masiello actually "signed" the deal.
So, who has the most egg on their face right now ---1.Those that leaked the information. 2. Those who reported the leaked information 3. The USF AD or 4. Masiello
Late on the response here, but my "egg on face" leaderboard: 1) Masiello (from 5 yrs 6.2M to placed on leave -- and if the Jasper's take him back I'll be shocked) 2) Manhattan -- should've checked with the registrar's office
Besides the ethical issue, how could Masiello recruit again at Manhattan? Kids would have to know that he's gone if he got another opportunity.
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.
Yeah, even Bobby Petrino who put his mistress on university payroll was forgiven (now at Louisville!) after a few years of supposed penitence. In Masiello's case, I'd guess Manhattan says goodbye, he gets his degree, and gets hired at a comparable mid major relatively soon -- say 2015 or 16.
Gary Parrish @garyparrishcbs 2m It appears Steve Masiello’s play here is going to be that he genuinely thought he had a degree and therefore didn’t knowingly lie.
My God, if Manhattan lets that story fly, what example are they setting?
When you get a degree, Stevie, they give you a fancy piece of paper called a diploma. Did you "misremember" that you never got one of those?