Steve masiello manhattan biography

It never pays to lie, especially on your resume. Former Georgia Tech football coach George O’Leary found out years ago when he lost the Notre Dame job for fudging his credentials.

Manhattan basketball Coach Steve Masiello found out this week when he lost the head coaching job at South Florida after it was revealed he erroneously stated on his resume that he had graduated from the University of Kentucky.

The bio in Manhattan’s media guide stated Masiello graduated in 2000 with a degree in communications.

Masiello, who led Manhattan to the NCAA tournament this year, was a student at Kentucky from 1996-2000. He was a walk-on player for coach Rick Pitino and also stayed on to work for coach Tubby Smith.

Pitino, now the coach at Louisville, told ESPN he was shocked to learn Masiello had not graduated.

“When I left [for the NBA] he was on track to graduate,” Pitino said.

South Florida will resume its search and it’s unclear whether Masiello will be accepted back at Manhattan.

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Steve Masiello

Manhattan coach Steve Masiello yells at his team during the first half against Louisville in a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 20, 2014, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Steve Masiello's promising coaching career is in limbo after his deal with South Florida fell apart because he doesn't have a college diploma.

Manhattan College said Wednesday that it had placed him on leave while Masiello is "reviewing his degree status."

South Florida confirmed earlier Wednesday that the school had an agreement in principle to lure Masiello away from Manhattan, but that the contract was contingent on "a verification of credentials."

USF requires its basketball coach to have at least a bachelor's degree. The 39-year-old Masiello did not graduate after attending Kentucky, where he played for Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith from 1996-2000.

"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," the school said in a brief statement. "The national search continues and USF looks forward to introducing a new coach at the appropriate time."

Masiello has a 61-39 record in three seasons at Manhattan. The Jaspers went 28-5 this season, which ended with a close loss to Louisville in the NCAA tournament.

Kentucky spokesman Jay Blanton verified Masiello was a student there from 1996-2000 in the college of communication, but did not graduate. Masiello's bio on Manhattan's web site says the coach graduated from Kentucky in 2000 with a degree in communications.

Manhattan said in a statement that it "learned there is a question of the validity" of Masiello's degree after South Florida commissioned a background check.

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American basketball coach (born 1977)

Stephen John Masiello Jr. (born September 2, 1977) is an American college basketball coach and a former player. He is currently the associate head coach at St. John's.

Masiello is a native of White Plains, New York. He graduated from Iona Grammar School in 1991 and attended Archbishop Stepinac High School for two years before transferring to the Harvey School in Katonah, New York. Masiello played collegiately as a walk-on at Kentucky for coaches Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith from 1996 to 2000. Though he rarely played, he was a member of two Final Four teams, including the 1997–98 Wildcats team that won the national championship. Masiello left Kentucky without completing his college degree in communications, despite information to the contrary on his Manhattan College and Louisville website bios.

Following the close of his college career, Masiello got his first coaching job as an administrative assistant at Tulane during the 2000–01 season. Following a stint as an assistant at Manhattan, he got an opportunity to rejoin his old coach Pitino at Louisville. Masiello served on Pitino's staff for six years, gaining a reputation as a top assistant coach and strong recruiter.

Manhattan

On April 11, 2011, Masiello was named the 24th head basketball coach at Manhattan College.

On March 25, 2014, Masiello agreed to a deal to become the next head coach at South Florida. However, South Florida later rescinded their offer after it was reported that he had not graduated from the University of Kentucky, as his résumé had stated. Masiello was subsequently placed on leave by Manhattan. It was announced on April 7, 2014, that Masiello will be retained as Manhattan head coach, but is on permanent leave until he gets his undergraduate degree. On May 29, 2014, the University of Kentucky announced that Masiello had completed his required coursework and wou